


Take a Chance on Happiness

by appleturnoversandstrudel



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Curse, F/F, F/M, Gen, Henry Mills is Evil Queen | Regina Mills's Biological Son, Mamma Mia AU, Multiple Pairings, Teen Henry Mills (Once Upon a Time), i mean it is a mamma mia au, regal believer centric, so expect it to follow that plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-23
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-10-09 17:02:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10416864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/appleturnoversandstrudel/pseuds/appleturnoversandstrudel
Summary: Mamma Mia AU When Henry finds his mother's old diary, he reads about three of her former paramours and decides to contact them. What happens when all of them decide to show up in Storybrooke? Regal Believer centric. Eventual OQ. HQ and SQ interactions along the way.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my current fic. Posting it here too in case more people want to read it. It's basically my version of OUAT carrying out the plot of Mamma Mia. Multiple pairing interactions will be present. The summary reflects what you should expect for Regina ships, but has been left purposely incomplete so as not to give everything away. If you like Mamma Mia and the ships aren't offensive to you, give it a try.

"Come on, guys!" Henry shouted, running ahead. "Mom's going to kill me if I'm not home soon. Do you slowpokes want to see it or not?" He reached the slide and grabbed onto the wooden pole that supported one side of it, bending over and panting to catch his breath, just as his two friends entered the playground.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you keep saying that," Ava said, catching up to Henry and starting to climb up the ladder leading to the top of the slide. It had been their castle as children, and now, it was their secret meeting place.

"And yet, you're still here," Nicholas added, joining his sister at the top of the slide and smirking at the teenage boy still at the bottom.

"Oh shut up," Henry shot back, climbing up more slowly due to the brown leather-bound volume tucked under one arm. "I just don't want to get on her bad side. You know how my mom gets when she's angry."

Ava shuddered. "Yeah, she's a total Evil Queen. She might turn us into toads if you show up ten minutes late."

"Hey, don't badmouth my mom! She's pretty cool! She just hasn't gotten used to the idea that I'm 17 and not 7 yet. Besides, the whole thing with Dad was hard on her. Cut her some slack." Henry defended, sitting down next to his friends, his legs dangling over the edge of the platform and the book on his lap.

"Aww, is someone a mama's boy?" Nicholas teased.

"Cut it out, Nick; I mean it. If you guys are so scared of my mom, I don't have to show you what I have here. I can just look at it by myself when I'm at home." Henry smiled victoriously, knowing his friends' curiosity would get the best of them.

"Okay, okay, we're sorry. Your mom's totally cool. Plus, she makes the best lasagna we've ever had," Ava quickly apologized. "So can we see it now?"

"Yeah, Henry, what is this super mysterious book you kept going on and on about all day?" Nicholas chimed in, leaning in to take a closer look at the plain leather cover.

"That's what I thought," Henry said sanctimoniously, looking down at the book before opening it up. "I found it in the attic a few days ago. Apparently, it was my mom's diary she kept the summer before she met my dad."

"But your mom and dad were together, like, forever," Nicholas said. "How old is this thing?"

"My mom said she met my dad her senior year of college. So, this has to be from the summer before that." Henry replied. "Do you guys want me to read it to you or not?"

"Yes!" Both siblings exclaimed at the same time. Henry cleared his throat and looked down at the page he had opened to, covered in neat, black script.

_May 28, 1994_

_Dear Diary,_

_I met the most wonderful guy today. His name is Killian Jones, and he's got his own boat. Apparently I caught his eye when I was tanning on the beach. He offered to take me out on his boat, and I know. Going out in the open ocean with a man I just met is a questionable decision. But I've always done what was right. I always played it safe. I'm tired of that. I just want to be free. Mother says we must always consider the consequences of our decisions, but I don't want to be her. I can't be her. I want to be happy. And today, going out with Killian on his boat made me happy._

_The water was crystal clear, and the most vivid shade of blue I've ever seen. In fact, it was the same shade as Killian's eyes. Looking into them felt like looking back into the ocean: crystal depths that sparkled with life and possibility. We stayed out the entire day, sailing and talking…and maybe a bit more! Oh I know…I know. In my defense, it's been so long since anyone's taken interest in me, and it was flattering. Killian is quite the charmer; I have to say. He's got an easy humor that must make him very popular with the ladies. It's a wonder he was still single. But I'm making him take me on a proper date as soon as we can find a time we're both free. We're staying in the same hotel, so keeping in touch shouldn't be hard, at least while I'm here._

_Mother thinks I'm too old to spend my summers in Florida. She says it's frivolous. So I'll probably have to go soon and take an internship that one of her friends said she would get me at her company. I don't understand why she doesn't want me to be happy. Summer is the only time I feel free. She's making me live her life, but I don't want her life. I want my own._

_Until next time,_

_Regina_

"Are we seriously reading about your mom's love life?" Ava asked, yawning. Henry glared at her.

"If you have better things to do with your time, you're free to leave. No one's making you stay, Ava. Same goes for you, Nick." He stared at both of them challengingly. Neither said a word.

"Can I continue?" Henry asked. Both silently nodded. He flipped a few pages forward. "There's another entry about this Killian guy."

_June 29, 1994_

_Dear Diary,_

_Today was my last day in Florida. My mother's friend managed to get me an internship in New York, starting tomorrow. My plane leaves in the morning. Honestly, I'm surprised Mother let me stay this long, but I'm not complaining. I had the most amazing time with Killian. We spent almost every waking moment together. He opened up a whole new world to me. I've come to this beach almost every summer for years, but I never appreciated the ocean like he does. It truly is awesome: so vast and deep and_ free _. I wish I could just set sail with Killian and leave this life, but knowing Mother, she would track me down and bring me right back. But I made the most of my time here. Killian's brother owns one of the hottest clubs here, and Killian snuck me in quite a few times. It was quite the experience: so many lights and people all in one place, not to mention the loud music! This is nothing like the places Mother wants me to be. It felt so alive. I did learn that I don't do rum though. It's Killian's drink of choice, but it doesn't agree with me, especially not the next morning…_

_But although this is the best time I've ever had, I still have to leave tomorrow. Somehow, we forgot to exchange contact information in the messy goodbye. Truthfully, there wasn't much talking at all. Still, it was nice to have him hold me one last time as we lay together on the beach, looking up at the stars. I only left after last call. I'll miss Florida, and even more, I'll miss Killian. He made me feel so free. But all good things must come to an end, especially in my life._

_I should get some sleep,_

_Regina_

"And then it never mentions him again," Henry said, listing through the pages and skimming the entries.

"That's it? That was your mom's great adventure? One whirlwind romance?" Ava sounded disappointed. "Lame" she declared, getting up to go.

"Okay. Guess I'll just finish reading it by myself." Henry shrugged, closing the book.

"Oh please, you know you can't just stop here!" Nicholas exclaimed. "I want to know what happens when she goes to New York."

"I thought you were worried about my mom turning you into toads," Henry teased.

"Are you seriously sticking around?" Ava looked at her brother, arms crossed defiantly.

"Hey, I want to hear this! And so does Henry! If you're so bored, you can leave." Nicholas said crossly, turning back to Henry. "Ignore her. She can leave if she wants to. I want to hear the rest."

"Whatever, loser. I'll stick around so that Dad doesn't think I lost you." Ava sat back down with a huff next to Henry.

He gave her a look before opening the diary again. "Here's her first entry from New York, Nick", he said, then started to read.

_July 13, 1994_

_Dear Diary,_

_It's been a while since the last time I could write. New York has been very busy. Ever since I got here, I've been running around; mostly just getting coffee for people and filing paperwork. Quite the glamorous life, I must say. Mother has me interning in a law firm where her friend is a partner. I don't hate it, but I'm not happy either. Though I suppose I should just be quiet and grateful for this opportunity. Most people in my year would kill for an internship at one of New York's most prestigious law firms. Still, it's not the life for me. I don't know how I can go on pretending I'm happy with this life that she's chosen for me anymore. It's tiring having to lie to Mother when she calls. And if she did know, she'd just take me home and make me finish my degree at home, surrounded by books and nothing else. She blames "that liberal arts college I went to", but I don't regret going one bit. It's opened my mind to so many possibilities._

_There is one bright spot, though. With all my moping, I almost forgot to mention that I met Robin Locksley! That's right;_ the _Robin Locksley, son of the famous Wall Street stockbrokers. I ran into him one day at the coffee shop on my fifth run of the day. I didn't even expect him to look at me, but we ended up having a nice conversation before I looked down at my watch and had to run. Turns out, he's nothing like his family. I thought he'd be stuffy and pretentious, but he's refreshingly down to earth. He says his parents are liars and thieves for conning people out of their money. I'd never looked at it that way. I thought that was just the way the world worked; the rich take from the poor, the good never win. Anyway, he's in law school, studying corporate law so he can protect the people his parents conned and get justice for them by prosecuting those who steal from them. "Steal from the rich to give to the poor", he says. Isn't that funny? I think it's quite an admirable goal; definitely more fulfilling than me wasting my time in pre-law when I know I don't want to be a lawyer. I couldn't just leave it at that, so when he offered to buy me coffee later, I accepted, and it looks like we're going out to dinner later this week! I'm going to dinner with Robin Locksley! Oh, Mother would be so proud of me! I'm finally doing something right…_

_Well, it's getting late. I'll try to write soon,_

_Regina_

Ava opened her mouth to speak, and Henry glared at her. "What, Ava?" He asked, exasperated.

"Doesn't your mom know how to be, well, you know…happy? Sounds like her life is pretty good here," she said, shrugging apologetically.

"Apparently it didn't make her happy. And if it didn't make her happy, it wasn't good for her," Henry stated with an air of finality.

Ava shrugged again. "Guess so," she mumbled.

"This Robin guy sounds kind of like Robin Hood…" Henry mused, flipping through the pages again.

"Like the animated fox?" Nicholas was confused.

"No, like from the stories. I used to read them as a kid," Henry said, still skimming the diary.

"Nerd," Ava coughed.

Henry ignored her.

Ava didn't like being ignored. "Aren't you a bit old for this fairytale crap?"

"I'm just saying it's interesting, that's all," he said, before stopping on a page. "Here's another entry about him."

_August 10, 1994_

_Dear Diary,_

_It's been over a month since I've been in New York, and it seems like things are turning around. I'm finally doing more filing than coffee runs, which is a start. Maybe they might even give me a good recommendation after I graduate. The internship ends in a couple days, so I'll have a few weeks to collect myself and get ready for senior year. I can't believe it's my last year of school already…At the same time, I can't wait for it to end. I don't know what I'll do after, but I know I definitely don't want to be a lawyer. That's not how I want to spend my life. Maybe I'll take a year off to figure things out; work at a coffee shop or something to support myself. I just feel so confused…_

_But here's one thing I'm not confused about: Robin and I are dating! That's right. We've been together for almost a month now, and it's wonderful. I've never felt so happy in my life. Being with him is like drinking a double espresso: everything just seems clearer with him around. He's so full of energy always going somewhere, doing something, changing the world! I asked him if he was afraid of how his parents would react to his career choice, and he told me he couldn't care less. He doesn't even care about being cut off. I wish I could be so brave, but Mother terrifies me. As long as she's around, I fear I will never be allowed to be myself._

_Oh, something strange happened earlier today. I almost got a tattoo. Yep; cautious, timid me got dragged all the way down to the tattoo parlor by Robin. We were going to get matching tattoos: roaring lions. Robin says he wanted his to remind him to be courageous and never stop fighting for what's right. For a little while, he managed to sway me too. Heaven knows I could use the courage to stand up to Mother. But standing there in the door of the tattoo parlor, seeing people getting inked…I couldn't commit to something so permanent, especially not if it would be a lie. I know I'm not brave, diary, and no tattoo will change that. So I chickened out and ran away. I know it was cowardly, but if I'm such a coward, I don't deserve to pretend to be brave. I told Robin I couldn't go through with it and left._

_He tried calling me after a few hours. He saw I was upset when I ran out, but I just told him I needed time to myself to think about things. I don't know where that puts us. I suppose I just can't let myself be happy…_

_It's a good thing I'm leaving New York soon. I can't take this much longer._

_Regina_

"Wow, your mom has some serious mommy issues," Ava said bluntly.

Henry gave her a reproachful look. "Don't talk that way about my mom," he warned in a low voice. "Her mother sounds terrifying. How would you like it if someone ran your life?"

"But-" Ava stopped, seeing the anger radiate from Henry's face. "Okay, got it. Your grandma sounds evil though."

Henry gave a noncommittal shrug. "Mom never talked about her growing up. Guess now I know why", he said.

"Are there any more entries?" Nicholas asked curiously.

"Wow, you are such a dork," Ava said disparagingly. "Seriously, Nick; this happened 20 years ago. Get over it."

Nicholas appeared hurt. "I want to see how it ends!" He protested.

Ava rolled her eyes. "We already know how it ends, you dork. Mrs. Mills met Mr. Phelps, they got married, and had Henry. And then a few years ago-"

"Ava! Can we please not talk about that?" Henry cut her off, the pain evident in his voice.

She could sense that she'd crossed a line. "Okay, sorry. Sheesh, why are you all so sensitive?"

"Time and a place, Ava," Henry said. "Time and a place."

"And now you sound like your mom. Whatever. Can you hurry up and finish this? I want to go home." Ava stood up, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Like I said, no one's making you stay," Henry turned back to the book, flipping forward a couple pages.

"This idiot and his investment in your mom's diary from 20 years ago are." Ava tilted her head over at Nick, making it quite clear how ridiculous she found the whole scenario.

"Maybe we can finish reading it tomorrow," Nicholas suggested timidly, cowed by his sister. "It is getting a bit late…" He got up slowly.

"Fine. You guys leave if you want to. But I'm finishing this, with or without you. And it looks like it's just about to get good…"

At those words, both siblings promptly sat back down, looking expectantly at Henry. "What's so good about it?" Nicholas asked.

"It looks like my mom found someone else that summer…" Henry cleared his throat and began to read.

_August 16, 1994_

_Dear Diary,_

_I only managed to last three days at home before I just couldn't stand it anymore. Mother has gotten even more overbearing, as unbelievable as that sounds. She has taken it upon herself to plan out my every waking moment, and she never lets me out of her sight. I don't understand why. I did as she told me. I went to New York, even though I didn't want to. I associated with the right people. Hell, I dated a Locksley! What more does she want from me? It's not like I can give her my heart and soul. Clearly my actions are not enough for her, but it's all I can do. So I left. I waited until she had an urgent meeting, and then I packed my things in a suitcase and hit the road, looking for someone to take me far away from here. Thankfully, my friend Tina found me before I could do something stupid, like get into a stranger's car. She's a lifesaver. She's always stopped me whenever I wanted to make bad decisions. Sometimes I think she's like my own personal fairy godmother. I even told her that once. It made her smile._

_She asked me where I wanted to go, her long blonde hair blowing in the wind, and I just told her far away from here. So she drove, the wind whipping our hair behind us, as we enjoyed the sunshine. She asked me what's wrong. I just looked at her. No one really knows my mother, but Tina comes the closest._

_We drove to Cape Cod, talking the whole way there. I told her about my brief tryst with Robin, and she got super excited. Tina's always trying to set me up with some guy or another. I think she fancies herself a matchmaker. But none of the guys she picked for me were quite right. There was always something missing…It might be childish to believe in true love, but that's what I'm holding out for; that special person whom I love more than anything. Maybe then I would be happy._

_The beach is still beautiful. I had just gotten there when I saw her. She was goofing around with some guys, her blonde curls swaying behind her, and her laughter was the most melodious sound I've ever heard. She was so beautiful. I found myself mesmerized by her. I just had to talk to her. I went up to her and introduced myself. She said her name was Emma._

_We talked all afternoon and into the evening. Emma was a new cadet in the police academy in Boston. It was her first year, and she was very excited. She wanted justice, she said; to catch the bad guys. I flashed back to what Robin said, and to my mother. I told her very little about myself in fear of her labeling me as one of the bad guys. I'm tired of being judged based on my family. I just want to be Regina and have a fresh start. Emma let me be myself. She listened closely to everything I did tell her, and I can't explain it, but I just felt so safe around her. Somehow we ended up watching the sunset together, leaning against each other, wrapped up in our beach towels, and I can't remember who initiated it, but our lips met. Our fingers intertwined as we kissed. Kissing Emma felt like drinking a mug of hot chocolate in winter: safe, warm, comfortable, familiar._

_I think my life is about to get very interesting,_

_Regina_

"Whoa. Hold up. Your mom's into girls?" Ava asked, surprised.

"I guess so," Henry shrugged. "It's the first time I'm hearing anything about it, but then again, Mom doesn't like to talk about anything that happened before Dad came along."

"So is she, like, bi or something?" Ava persisted.

Henry sighed. "Does it matter, Ava? Seriously, let it go."

Ava opened her mouth to speak again, but Nicholas placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head no. Henry continued.

"There's only one more entry in the diary," he said, flipping to the last page.

_September 5, 1994_

_Dear Diary,_

_This was my last weekend of freedom. Classes start tomorrow, and I need to get back to school. Of course, I don't want to go back, but who ever asked me what I wanted? My life has never been about me. At least I had this summer to tide me over._

_Emma and I stayed close for the remainder of my stay in Cape Cod. She was crashing with some friends, and I stayed with Tina at one of her friends' beach house. Emma opened up to me. She told me she was an orphan, found on the side of the road. All she had as identification was her baby blanket, which had her name embroidered on it. How awful. She was tossed around in the system from family to family until she aged out, but she decided to keep her first family's name: Swan. I think it quite suits her. She is certainly as beautiful and graceful as one, though she doesn't believe me. I wish she would. I wish I could make her see what I see in her. One night, we stayed out under the stars, and I listed everything I loved about her. Let's just say the rest of that night wasn't something I could write about…_

_I'm not sure what Emma is to me. She's far more than a friend, but what? Girlfriend, lover, soulmate? What do I call this girl who finally sees me for me? I just want to protect her, to show her that she is loved, that she does belong. I want her to belong to me, and I to her, but I'm not sure that's possible; at least not with my mother around. If she caught wind of me with a girl, she would make sure she destroyed every last shred of happiness I possessed. I tried telling Emma, but she couldn't listen. She thought I was rejecting her, which couldn't be further from the truth. I'm not ready to say it, but I feel very strongly about her. Then again, if my fear of my mother is stronger, I don't deserve Emma. Maybe I wasn't fated to find love after all._

_I spent the day with Emma. We didn't talk much, just held each other and cuddled. Words would have been superfluous when all I needed was for someone just to care, and Emma gave me that._

_It's a pity this summer had to end. My last summer of freedom. I don't know if I'll ever see Emma again after today. When we finally parted, I said my tearstained goodbye, and she just walked away angrily. She's still upset about my mother. I hate this! I hate hurting her like this! But I can't get away from my mother, even when I do._

_I can't think anymore. I need to go if I'll make it to school by tomorrow._

_Regina_

"And that's all she wrote," Henry said dramatically, shutting the diary with a thud. By this point, the sun had almost set, and the words were barely visible.

"That's it?" Nicholas asked in disappointment, just as Ava exclaimed, "Finally!"

Henry nodded, then stuck his tongue out at Ava. "Now I really have to go. It's almost dinnertime, and the last time I missed dinner, I was grounded for a week."

"We should go too," Nicholas said, as Ava muttered, "We should have gone half an hour ago". Nicholas looked at her, then continued. "We'll see you tomorrow, Henry."

"Okay, see you guys," Henry replied absently, his mind still spinning with what he'd read.

With that, the three parted ways for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry has an idea after reading his mother's diary.

"Henry? Did you hear me?" Mr. Booth tapped the chalkboard lightly with his pointer next to the equation 2+2=5.

Henry's eyelids were drooping dangerously low, the numbers on the chalkboard going in and out of focus. He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Booth. Could you repeat the question?"

"I asked what Orwell meant when he stated that two and two make five in this week's chapters of _1984_." He waited expectantly for Henry's interpretation.

Henry furrowed his brow. Two and two…make five. That didn't sound right. Where did that come up in the reading? He'd only read half the chapters assigned. He meant to read the rest, but then he found his mother's diary, and last night he stayed up late thinking about it. Thinking, and strategizing. The rest of the reading had completely slipped his mind.

Looking around, he realized the rest of the class was staring at him. _Quick, Phelps, think. Think think think._ "Uh," Henry swallowed, staring intently at the board and avoiding eye contact with his favorite teacher. "Two and two don't make five. They make four. So…Orwell was lying." He racked his brain for something broader, more overarching. "And…lying causes the downfall of society."

Mr. Booth sighed. "Not quite what I expected, Henry. Anyone else?"

A few seats over from Henry, Paige raised her hand. "Well, like Henry said, two and two make four. But Orwell is asserting that they make five. So what he's saying is that truth isn't necessarily absolute. It's what you believe it is. If you could convince yourself that two and two made five, for all intents and purposes, they would. Your perception controls your reality, not the other way around."

"Very good, Paige." Mr. Booth smiled, turning around to erase the chalkboard. "Now don't forget, we're going over the next five chapters next week, and it's never too early to start thinking about potential topics for your essay, which is due in three weeks. See you all tomorrow!" He shouted over the noise of the bell, shuffling papers, and chairs scraping the linoleum.

Henry packed his books quietly, not wanting to draw attention to himself. "Henry," he heard Mr. Booth calling. Damn. He should've known he wouldn't be so lucky. "Can I see you for a second?"

Head hung in shame, he walked over to the teacher's desk. "Yes, Mr. Booth?"

Mr. Booth studied him, taking in his shamed expression and slumped shoulders. "Henry, I want you to answer me honestly. Did you do this week's reading?"

Henry gulped. "I did part of it. I was going to do the rest last night, but…something came up," he finished lamely.

Mr. Booth sat down, resting his head in his hands. "Henry, this is an Advanced Placement class. We go quickly. It's not the kind of class you can afford to get distracted in. I expected more from you based on your work so far."

"I know," Henry groaned. "I'm sorry, Mr. Booth. It won't happen again. I promise I'll work harder and remember all the readings and-"

The rest of his promises were cut off by Mr. Booth's raised hand. "If I remember correctly, you want to go into creative writing. Is that still the case?"

Henry nodded eagerly. "Yes, it is. I'm applying to Emerson. Other schools too, but that's my top choice."

Mr. Booth nodded approvingly. "And as I recall, you still need a teacher recommendation in order to be considered for their creative writing program."

"Yes, sir." Henry fidgeted. He'd asked the English teacher for one a few weeks ago, but still hadn't gotten it.

"I only recommend students whom I believe to be suitable for such a challenging program." Henry opened his mouth to protest. "And I believe you are," Mr. Booth quickly appended. "But you need to put in your best effort. No more forgotten readings. Understood?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you. I promise I won't let you down again." Henry's focus was torn between gratitude for the second chance and stealing glances out the door, where students were milling outside their lockers before lunch.

Mr. Booth smiled. "I believe you. Now go. You're going to be late for lunch."

Henry slung his backpack and ran out the door, reaching his locker before anyone could reprimand him for it. He opened his locker, shoving his backpack in hastily and causing a few envelopes to flutter out of it in the process.

"You dropped these." Ava handed them to him unceremoniously. Ignoring her tone, Henry took the envelopes and placed them back inside his locker, wedging them in the bottom of his backpack where they'd be safe. "Thanks," he muttered inside his locker.

"Who're they for?" Ava shifted her body to block his locker. Resisting the urge to snap at her, Henry finally made eye contact. "You have a girlfriend in Canada or something?"

"I do not have a girlfriend in…" Henry exhaled slowly, trying to calm himself down. "My envelopes are none of your business," he said exasperatedly, maneuvering himself between her and his locker and finally managing to shut it.

"Is that how you treat your best friend?" Ava mocked, following him to the cafeteria.

Henry snorted. Best friend was pushing it. He only hung out with her because Nick was cool. Since they were twins, they usually came as a package deal. "I'll go save us seats. You go ahead and get in line."

Ava would not be deterred. "We can find seats later. I want to know what was in those envelopes."

"Why?" Henry asked.

"Because I'm a naturally curious person," she stated with a smug smile. Henry sighed, continuing to ignore her. She continued to pester him all throughout the lunch line and as they sat down at their usual table. Henry could feel the beginning of a tension headache coming on and massaged his temples.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Nick slid into his seat next to Ava and across from Henry, who gave him a halfhearted, but he hoped still friendly, smile in greeting.

"Henry's being a killjoy," Ava declared, opening her milk carton.

"Really?" Nick asked doubtfully. "That doesn't sound like Henry."

"Well he dropped some super mysterious envelopes and he won't tell me what's in them," she complained, stirring her milk with her straw.

"Because, as I already told you, it's none of your business, Ava," Henry gritted through his teeth, rubbing his temples even harder.

"Why not? Are they love letters? You writing to your girlfriend? Who is she?" Ava kept pestering.

Henry glared at her. "I'm not writing to my girlfriend. And if I was, it would still be _none of your business_ ," Henry punctuated his remark with an angry stab at what Storybrooke High passed off as meatloaf.

Ava glared back at him, but dropped the matter. Henry looked away, pushing his mashed potatoes around the tray, not really eating any. They ate in relative silence for a few minutes, punctuated only by Nick's polite questions and the others' short replies. Finally, Henry set down his fork and looked squarely at Ava.

"Do you really want to know who I was writing to?"

"Um, duh." She leaned forward, propping her head up on her elbows.

"And you promise not to laugh?" Henry looked at the siblings skeptically.

Nick nodded promptly, casting a warning look over to Ava, who sighed.

"We promise. Now spill," she said, picking up a forkful of carrots.

"Okay." Henry took a deep breath. "So, remember how I found Mom's diary and we read some of the entries together?"

"Okay…" Ava looked like she was biting back a sarcastic remark.

"Well, I just had the most brilliant idea." Henry's eyes shone. He continued before either of them could interrupt him. "I wrote letters to the three people Mom mentioned in the diary inviting them up to Storybrooke."

Ava regarded him thoughtfully. "And they'd do that because…" she prompted.

Henry looked down sheepishly. "I may have pretended to be writing as Mom."

It was Ava's turn to feel hurt. "Henry! You can't just do that! You can't pretend to be someone else. That's lying."

"Right, because you've _never_ lied," Henry shot back.

Ava shook her head. "Not like this. Henry, this is serious. What if they show up? What are you gonna do then?"

"There are always empty rooms in the bed and breakfast. Storybrooke isn't exactly a tourist destination. And I'm sure they can all come up with plausible reasons for why they all decided to visit…at the same time…" It began to occur to Henry how questionable his scheme was.

"Okay. And what happens when your mom sees them? She's gonna flip out!"

"I…we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Henry sighed, rubbing his temples. He really hadn't thought this through that far. "They probably won't even come. Killian's down in Miami running a boat club, Emma's a cop in Boston, and Robin's a lawyer in New York. I doubt they'd actually come all the way up here for someone they dated twenty years ago." He tried not to let his disappointment in the truth of his statement get to him.

"That's the most reasonable thing you've said so far," Ava pronounced.

Just as Henry was about to tell Ava exactly what he thought of her comment, the bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period. He shoved his finished lunch tray hastily into the trash and parted with a "See you guys later".

He found it difficult to focus on precalculus and history, a million different ideas bouncing around his head. What if he really had messed up? What if they all showed up and his mom couldn't recover from the shock and grounded him forever? He just wanted her to be happy. He wasn't stupid. His mom was lonely; anyone could see that…

Henry was jarred from his thoughts by the last period bell. Grabbing his books, he fought his way through the crowd to his locker to find the twins already waiting there.

"Henry, what were you thinking? Impersonating your mom? Obviously stalking three complete strangers? Springing them on her without any warning?" Ava greeted him, moving aside to let him open his locker.

"Yeah," Nick chimed in. "It's…not like you," he ended diplomatically.

Henry ground his teeth. "You wanna know what I was thinking? I was thinking that in nine months, I'm gonna go off to school and leave Mom all alone. I was thinking that it's been seven years since Dad died, and Mom's spent all of them single because she's been too caught up in her grief. I was _thinking_ that if I could recreate at least part of a time when she was truly happy, she could find her happy ending again."

There was a tense silence as Henry dropped his books into his backpack and threw it over his shoulder.

"Henry…maybe there's a reason why she didn't try to contact them herself," Nick offered quietly. "They all ended pretty badly."

Henry shook his head. "I know my mom. She gets scared when things get good because she's afraid she'll lose them. Like Dad. And I'm not saying she has to end up with one of them. But why not let her find out herself?"

He slammed his locker shut. "I'm going through with this." He glared at his friends. "Now are you in or out?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day in the life of Regina Mills.

Regina frowned at the invoice. There was no way the price of apples could be so high. It was November, for heaven's sake; they were in season. Sighing, she made a mental note to call her supplier tomorrow. Apple of My Eye wouldn't stay open without its trademark apple turnovers, and Regina didn't want to have to raise her prices. She wasn't about to punish her regulars just because her vendors had made a mistake…right? It clearly had to be a mistake. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her temples in slow rhythmic circles. Apple crisis tomorrow. Right now…

"Henry's here," Ruby called out from the front of the diner as the bell jingled. Regina looked up from her piles of paperwork to see her son take a seat at the bar and smiled.

"I'll be right there," she greeted him. _Just as soon as I…what was it that I had to do?_ She thought hard. The dinner rush hadn't started yet, coffee was brewed, desserts were made…the lasagna! Rushing toward the kitchen, Regina pulled a piping hot lasagna pan from the oven, the cheese on top perfectly browned and crusty. She set it on the counter to rest with a deep exhale. There was too much to do. Too much to remember. Her routine was consistent; otherwise, she'd have messed up constantly. Years had passed since she had last burnt a lasagna, and she wasn't eager to repeat the experience.

Wisps of steam rose from the lasagna as it cooled next to one, two, three…Regina mentally counted up the trays resting on the counter. Along with the meatloaf with gravy and the chicken, she'd have enough to feed the crowd. A little voice in the back of her head suggested that if she raised her prices a few dollars, she'd make enough money to hire a cook and a couple more waitresses. She stubbornly ignored it. She was proud of her low prices. Proud of the fact that she was able to offer delicious, affordable food; of the chalkboard sign boasting "Everything $10 or less" outside the diner door. She wouldn't give that up for a little convenience, not with a reputation to uphold. Her livelihood depended on good, inexpensive food that people could walk in and order instead of having to cook for themselves. Raising prices would probably cost her more than she'd profit.

She pushed aside the thought, leaning back on the counter for a second. In another hour, the dinner rush would start, and she wouldn't have time to rest like this. Wiping the sweat that had accumulated on her brow, Regina stuck a pan of meatloaf into the oven and went to the front to see her son.

"Hi sweetie." She kissed his cheek as she sat down on the seat beside him. He was drinking a hot chocolate piled tall with whipped cream and dusted with cinnamon to tide him over until dinner. She smiled at the familiarity of his cold weather routine. Henry loved cocoa with cinnamon. So had…

She shook her head. No time for this now. She smiled at her son, pulling the tendril of hair that had slipped out of its ponytail away from her face. "How was your day?"

"Good." Henry shrugged, taking a sip of his cocoa. Regina waited for him to elaborate, frowning when it became clear he wouldn't.

"Everything okay?" She asked carefully, noting how he wouldn't meet her eye.

Henry looked up from his chocolate. "Yeah, it's fine." He smiled tightly. "Mr. Booth said he'd have my letter any day now," he offered with an air of confidence.

Regina smiled proudly. "That's my son. The future best-selling author." She ruffled his hair.

He scrunched his face. "Mom," he whined playfully. "You're messing up my style."

"Oh, sorry." Regina pulled her hand back, studying his carefully mussed hair and coordinated outfit. Was this the same little boy who'd dress himself for school with two different socks and a winter coat in May? The memories panged deep in her chest. And he'd be going off to college, somewhere out of town, in less than a year…

She had to keep talking before the sadness engulfed her. She couldn't be sad, not when his dream could come true. Her desires would not stand in the way of his happiness. Regina would rather die than see herself become like Cora.

"So you're still set on Emerson?" She asked, taking the opportunity to pour herself a coffee and accompany him.

Henry nodded. "Their program is exactly what I'm looking for, and I'd be close to the city. Boston's a college town and there's so much to do there." The "unlike here" went unsaid, but acknowledged by both of them.

 _And far from me,_ Regina thought, scolding herself internally. Henry comes first. If he wanted to study on the other side of the world, she'd let him. She smiled forcedly, twisting the ring still on her left ring finger.

"I'm so proud of you", she beamed. "You've done so well with your schoolwork and are growing up into such a kind young man. Your dad would be proud of you."

Henry looked down at his chocolate, picking up the mug, and Regina could have sworn that he swallowed more than the beverage. "Thanks, Mom," he said quietly.

One side of her lip quirked up in a brave imitation of a smile. She drained the rest of her coffee just as the bell jingled again. Belle, the town librarian, entered with a cheery "Hello!" and took a booth by the window. _Hot tea and a pastry_. Regina had memorized all of her regulars' orders. She went behind the counter to pour the tea and grab a scone, since Ruby was nowhere to be found, and brought them over to Belle.

"Thanks, Regina." Belle gave her a dimpled smile as she pulled out her book of the week. She always came in before the dinner rush, alone, and read for a while as she ate. It was a different book every week. Regina supposed she'd have to love them, being the librarian. Henry visited the library far more than she did, though not by choice. Her reading time was limited. She remembered back when Belle took over the library, there had been about a third of the books there were now. Of course, Mayor Gold was an avid supporter of the library and gave generously. Some of the people talked about the ulterior motives behind his philanthropy; hushed murmurs of a clandestine affair between the older mayor and the pretty young librarian. As for Regina, she didn't have the time to care.

Regina smiled. "Is that good?" She nodded toward the book Belle had already propped up on the table, not recognizing the title.

"Excellent!" Belle beamed, immediately launching into a brief summary of the plot and discussing some literary concept that featured prominently which Regina had never heard of. _What on earth is a synecdoche?_ It had been two decades since Regina's last English literature course, so she just listened politely to the enthusiastic bookworm. Their lives were so different; Belle living in her world of books and academia, and Regina running the diner all day. Maybe they would have had more in common if Regina had just followed the path Cora had outlined for her…

"…anyway, I'm really enjoying this book; oh sorry, Regina, am I keeping you?" The question brought Regina back from the thoughts she had wandered off to in her head.

"No, no," Regina quickly reassured her, sneaking a glance at her watch. "Though I should probably finish up my dinner prep before the rush starts…"

"Of course." Belle smiled, marking her page with a finger. "Thanks for the tea and scone."

"Anytime." Regina's smile was tighter than she'd meant, but the stress was creeping back in as she realized she hadn't started any of the vegetables yet. Another glance at her watch told her she'd have enough time, but it would be close.

She rushed back into the kitchen and heated up a sauté pan, pulling out a cutting board, and her vegetables. Five minutes later, she had them chopped and sauteeing nicely, now able take a moment to herself again. She looked down at her watch. She could have talked to Belle a little while longer, Regina realized. Socializing wasn't something she did much, with her schedule. Sometimes she wished she got out more, maybe with Mary Margaret and Kathryn, (when had they last had a girls' night? She should call them…) but most of the time, she didn't even have the time to think about it.

Regina didn't have long to ponder her lack of social life. Once the first couple families walked through the door, her evening was a blur of new orders from Ruby, plating, and making sure they never ran low on anything. It was an average weeknight crowd, but it kept Regina running around. Most of the tables were full of chattering cheery people; mothers and fathers, children talking animatedly about their days at school. She glanced over at Henry, who had sat with some friends from school and was telling what was probably a very amusing story. He noticed her looking at him and smiled, waving at her. Regina waved back, smiling warmly as she took down the most recent order from Ruby.

Things started dying back down in a couple hours. People had eaten and left; the regulars saying goodbye to Regina and Ruby before going. Finally, there were only a few occupied tables, and Regina could relax. After making sure everyone had been served, she plated up some chicken and vegetables for herself, joining Henry at the bar.

"Did you have a good time with your friends?" Regina asked.

Henry glanced back toward the door, as if waiting for someone. "Yeah, I like hanging out with Nick and Ava," he replied dutifully, and Regina thought she heard something off in his voice. Boredom? Disappointment? She wondered what was wrong, but decided not to push it.

"They're good kids," she affirmed, taking a bite of chicken and humming with satisfaction. "I'm glad you have them to keep you company until our family dinners."

This had been Regina's running joke for years: that eating together at the diner every night was their family dinner. Every night, she prepared something she knew Henry liked and ate with him after most of the patrons had left. It wasn't a very conventional family dinner, but it was their tradition. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, gauging his reaction. One of these days, she worried, he'd grow too old for this and decide it was uncool to eat at his mother's diner.

Henry smiled. "Yeah," he chuckled. "But they're not as fun as you".

Regina laughed. Leave it to her son to try to make her feel better. "Thanks, Henry," she said, finishing the last of her vegetables and setting her silverware down on the plate. She took a look around the diner. As they ate, the last few stragglers had cleared out, leaving them alone in the suddenly large and empty diner.

She sat there for a couple minutes, savoring the silence and stillness, watching Henry as he pulled out an assignment and started working on it. He worked diligently, occasionally frowning and pausing, then scribbling something down. And next year, he'd be gone. After seven years of just the two of them, she'd be all alone. It wasn't a happy thought, and she brushed it aside. Finally, Regina cleared her throat and began cleaning up, stacking their cups on top of her plate and taking them toward the back. Ruby was wiping down tables, surprisingly peppy for someone at the end of her shift.

"Closing time," she called out cheerfully, tossing the towel into a bin by the kitchen.

"Yes it is." Regina nodded, slinging her purse over her shoulder and wrapping an arm around Henry, who was a whole head taller than her. "We should all head home and get a good night's rest."

"You got it," Ruby saluted a bit too enthusiastically, and Regina wondered if she would actually be going home, or off on another adventure.

"See you bright and early," Regina reminded her pointedly as she turned off the lights and exited the building, making sure no one was left inside before locking up.

"You got it, boss." Ruby waved, heading toward her car as Henry and Regina crossed the street.

As they entered their building, Regina looked over at Henry, and felt very grateful that they were a family.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry mails off the letters; Regina has some quality time with her friends.

"So…you're really doing this?" Ava asked, shivering. Her hands were shoved inside her jacket pockets this chilly November morning.

Henry gave her an exasperated look. "Yes I am." He rolled his eyes and pulled the envelopes out of his backpack. Ava could be so frustrating. As if they hadn't spent all of last night debating the pros and cons of mailing the letters.

"Oka-aay…" Ava sing-songed. Henry resisted the urge to glare at her. He opened the mail bin and placed the three envelopes inside it. There. Now the situation was, quite literally, out of his hands. No more reason to overthink. He closed the bin and started walking away.

"If you're sure it's a good idea…" Ava couldn't resist getting in one last jab. At this, Henry turned to face her.

"You're always so supportive, Ava," he quipped, shooting an annoyed glance at Nick. The quiet boy shrugged apologetically, looking down at the sidewalk with hunched shoulders.

"I'm just saying…" Ava raised her hands sanctimoniously.

"You said enough last night," Henry cut her off abruptly. He'd heard enough of her self-righteous scolding at dinner. She went on for almost an hour about all the ways this was a bad decision. Henry had tried not to let it get to him. He even tried listening for a little while. But after she started repeating herself and attacking more than advising him, he just tuned out. He had contemplated just finding a seat elsewhere, but he knew his mom would notice and ask him if there was something wrong. He couldn't risk her finding out what he was planning; at least, not before he knew whether or not it would work.

"Well maybe if you listened to me, I wouldn't have to repeat myself," she shot back bitterly.

"I would've listened if there was something worth listening to," Henry returned nastily.

"Can you two stop fighting for five minutes?" Both teenagers were shocked to hear Nick speaking up. "All you've been doing since Henry found this stupid diary is arguing about whether he should send letters to these people. You were at it all day yesterday and are back at it now. Can you both just give it a rest?"

Ava and Henry were stunned silent. Nick took their silence as a chance to continue. "Henry, I know you want your mom to be happy, and I know you think that one of these people could be her happy ending. But are you sure contacting them is a good idea? You don't even know them."

Henry shrugged, scuffing his shoe on the concrete. It wasn't his first time pondering these points. What if he should have just left it alone? What if it really was a bad idea? He tossed and turned last night, mulling over the various aspects of the situation, before finally drifting off.

"Ava, you said what you had to say. Several times." Nick looked at his sister pointedly. "In the end, it's Henry's decision. He decided to send these letters. Simple as that."

Ava had the decency to look embarrassed.

"So just drop it," Nick concluded. "He sent the letters. Let's move on."

"It's not like they'll probably even respond," Henry contributed helpfully. Both Zimmer siblings scowled at him. He raised his hands in defeat and they continued walking, turning into Storybrooke High.

"I gotta go get changed for gym. See you guys later." Henry waved goodbye, heading toward the locker room as his friends went down the hallway to their first period classes.

What if he had made a mistake? Henry sat on the locker room bench, staring at his untied sneakers with laces in hand, drifting into a reverie.

The bell rang, quickly shaking him out of it. Too late for second thoughts now. It was already done. Henry tied his shoelaces and jogged out of the locker room.

* * *

 

"If you ask me one more time, _I'm_ the one who's going to walk out the door," Ruby teased. Regina wrung her hands together, glancing at the clock nervously.

"I just want to make sure you can handle the diner," she said, slinging her purse over her shoulder.

"And its massive crowd of-" Ruby made a show of counting the number of customers in the deserted diner "-five?" She quirked an eyebrow sarcastically. "Go, Regina. Catch up with your girls. Lord knows you need to get out more."

Regina ignored that last remark. "Lunch rush is over, but there's a tray of lasagna you can warm up in case someone hungry comes in. The pastry case is full, and there's a hot pot of coffee-"

"Right, because _I made it_ ," Ruby stressed that last phrase, rolling her eyes. "Regina, I've been working here longer than you have. I might not have your culinary chops, but I'm a damn good waitress. I've been doing this since I was in high school. Relax. Your diner's in good hands."

Regina exhaled. "You're right. Sorry. I just feel so guilty taking off like this."

"I thought being your own boss meant you were _more_ flexible, not less." Ruby raised her hands in defeat at Regina's glare. "Okay, okay. But seriously, when's the last time you did anything with Mary Margaret and Kathryn?"

Regina furrowed her brow. "We went to the Ladies' Night at the White Rabbit. I remember lots of pink drinks."

"Yeah, that was Valentine's Day. Nine months ago, Regina. You could've made a whole other person by now."

"Always so classy." Regina frowned. "But I see your point."

Ruby smiled victoriously. "It's just lunch. The school is only a ten-minute walk away. If I have a diner emergency, I'll call your cell." She took Regina's apron and turned her toward the door, shooing her away with the apron. "Now go have some fun!"

Regina gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Ruby". She hugged her. "See you soon."

She left the diner feeling content and even excited. Ruby was right. It had been far too long since she had spent time with her friends, and she missed them. Socializing had never been a priority for her, and eventually she felt the effects of that. Henry was her entire world, but she needed friends too.

What would she do without Ruby? She was indispensable. She kept the diner running as much as Regina did, doing all the front-of-the-house social interaction that flustered her. Dealing with other people was Ruby's forte. Regina preferred her ovens and recipes: structured, consistent, never changing without her permission. They were comforting.

But even she got lonely. Lunch with her friends was definitely overdue. She had called Mary Margaret and Kathryn after she closed the diner last night, not really expecting either of them to be free anytime soon. To her surprise, they both agreed to have lunch together the next day.

She arrived at Storybrooke Elementary more quickly than she had anticipated, surprised at how swiftly her feet had carried her there. Mary Margaret's fourth grade classroom was right where it had always been, tucked away in the back of the school. Regina could see the teacher hunched over some papers behind her closed door and knocked.

Mary Margaret looked up and smiled upon seeing Regina. "Come in." She invited, stacking the papers together and setting them aside.

Regina pulled up a chair gingerly and joined Mary Margaret at her desk. "Hi," she greeted her awkwardly.

"Hi," Mary Margaret echoed, her voice friendly. Regina coughed, pulling a Tupperware container of lasagna and one of salad out of her purse and placing them at the edge of the desk. After some searching, she managed to come up with a plastic wrapped set of silverware, with which she started cutting the lasagna into small bites.

"That's so good," Regina hummed, taking a bite and feeling the doughy cheesy goodness hit her taste buds. She hadn't eaten since seven, and her lasagna really was delicious. Mary Margaret giggled, and Regina was startled to realize she had said that out loud. Suddenly she realized that she was in _Mary Margaret's classroom_ , her work space, and felt extremely uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, I…do you have a lot of grading?" Regina gestured to the papers Mary Margaret had set aside.

"Hmm? Oh, no. Just some geography quizzes. I can do them later."

"I'm sorry for barging in like this," Regina focused on dissecting her lasagna so she wouldn't have to look at Mary Margaret. "You must be so busy and I should have been more considerate." Her mother's words were coming out of her mouth, and she could feel her face growing red. When did all the oxygen get sucked out of the room? _Inhale…exhale…_

Thankfully, Mary Margaret didn't seem to notice that her world was imploding. "Nonsense." She laughed. "I'm glad you called. I've missed you. Besides, lunch today was my idea, remember?" This was true. She had suggested that they all meet in her classroom during her free period. "Actually, I should be _thanking_ you for saving me from the agony of grading quizzes while the kids are at gym."

It was Regina's turn to laugh, the tense moment dissolved. "Oh come on, they can't be _that_ bad," she pleaded.

"They had to label the fifty states on a map." Mary Margaret gave her a solemn look. "New York does not border Texas."

Regina let out a surprised chuckle. "No, it doesn't. Seriously?"

Mary Margaret nodded. "We've been doing states for two weeks now. I hoped they'd absorbed something. At least some of them have learned their states. A few of these tests look like they got all fifty correct, actually. But some of these kids are just struggling…"

"Hey…it's not your fault," Regina encouraged. "You said you've been working on it for two weeks?"

"Yeah…"

"So they had plenty of time to review their states at home." Regina patted Mary Margaret's arm. "You can't blame yourself for every bad grade."

"I know…it's just hard. I'm responsible for their education. It's tough not to take it personally if they haven't grasped something."

"It's a team effort, though. You're putting in your part, but they have to put in theirs too. You can't just cram the states into their heads." Regina gave a weak laugh, stabbing another piece of lasagna with her fork.

"You're right," Mary Margaret smiled brightly. "Thanks, Regina. You always know what to say."

That seemed like a stretch, but Regina let herself bask in the compliment. "Henry loved geography," she offered.

The teacher nodded. "I remember; he was one of my best students. But he didn't love it nearly as much as-"

"English," Regina finished, beaming. "He was always reading, ever since he was in preschool."

Mary Margaret returned the smile. "Is he still set on being an author?"

"Yes," Regina confirmed. "He's doing his college applications now. Emerson's his top choice."

Mary Margaret regarded her silently for a few seconds. "And how do you feel about that?"

Regina shrugged, not speaking until the lump in her throat decided to disappear. "I just want him to be happy," she replied with a vacant smile.

"Regina…"

"Would I rather he stay in state? Yes. But there aren't any good creative writing programs here. His future comes first," she stated firmly, her voice cracking on the last word. Her loneliness would not prevent him from having the life he wanted.

"I know it does," Mary Margaret soothed, pulling out a box of tissues from her desk. "But it's okay to admit that you'll miss him. Here." She handed Regina a tissue, which Regina accepted gratefully.

"Henry's all I have." The words were muffled through Regina's tears. "You have David, and Kathryn has Fred, but all I have for family is Henry. And he'll be leaving soon. I don't want to be all alone." She couldn't believe she was actually admitting this to someone.

"You'll never be alone, sweetie. You'll always have me." Mary Margaret hugged Regina, waving toward the door.

"And me," Kathryn chimed in, pulling up a chair next to Regina. "Sorry I'm running late. Did I miss anything good?"

Regina wiped her eyes on the tissue. "Not really. Just teacher problems and mom stuff." She pulled another Tupperware container of lasagna and wrapped silverware from her purse. "This is for you, by the way. I knew you wouldn't have time to grab lunch on your way from work."

"My savior!" Kathryn exclaimed gleefully, promptly opening the container and breathing in the scent. "How can I ever repay you?"

"Get Emerson to open an online creative writing program?" Regina suggested sarcastically.

Kathryn turned toward Mary Margaret, confused.

"Regina's having a hard time with Henry applying to school out of state," clarified Mary Margaret.

"And Emerson's his top choice. With his grades, he'll have no problem getting in. But I am having some trouble accepting that he'd be two states away."

"Ah." Kathryn nodded knowingly. "Sorry, Regina. That sounds tough."

"Thanks." Regina opened her salad. "But we haven't seen each other like this in so long! No use wasting our time on my whining about being an empty nester." She put on a brave smile. "How are things going with Fred?"

Kathryn's face immediately assumed a dreamy expression. "They're going well…" she blushed.

A knowing smile spread across Mary Margaret's face. "I think I know why Kathryn was so late today. What are the kids playing in gym?"

"Basketball," Kathryn blurted out, then clamped her mouth shut. Too late.

Regina laughed. "Did you at least say hi to Fred from us?"

"No…but I did tell him I was going to meet you. Otherwise, I might still be with him." Kathryn said sheepishly.

"Well, it's something." Mary Margaret shared a look with Regina, then they both burst out laughing.

Kathryn blushed and suddenly became very interested in her lasagna.

"Oh, we're just teasing," Regina waved away her lingering embarrassment. "Seriously, we're glad you're happy."

"Yeah," Mary Margaret agreed. "We know how hard things have been for you since…"

Regina cleared her throat and gave her a warning glance.

"Right." Mary Margaret finished awkwardly.

"It's okay, Mary Margaret. You're right; it hurt when David left. But if he hadn't, I never would've found Frederick. I would've still been married to David, and neither one of us would've been truly happy." Kathryn took a bite of her lasagna. "I'm not happy you two were seeing each other while I was still married to him, but I am happy you found each other. You two just fit."

"Thanks, Kathryn." Mary Margaret seemed more at ease now. "I still can't believe how you found Fred."

"Yeah…it was so strange…when I saw him, it was like I'd known him in another life…" Kathryn's eyes glazed over as she daydreamed. "I'm so glad you work with him."

"I bet." Mary Margaret chuckled. The two had met at last year's school Christmas party. Mary Margaret had invited Kathryn in the hope that a night of festivities would cheer her up from the bombshell that David had left her for, well, Mary Margaret. She wasn't sure the other woman would accept, but she met Frederick and they hit it off and the rest, as they say, was history.

"I think he's the one," Kathryn proclaimed.

Regina rolled her eyes. "You sound like Henry, with his fairytales and idealism."

"What's wrong with idealism?" Kathryn asked, sounding hurt.

"Nothing…but things don't always work out…" Regina trailed off, staring into the distance.

"Are you thinking about Daniel again?" Mary Margaret asked gently.

Regina didn't answer, just anxiously twisted the ring on her left ring finger.

They ate in silence for a couple minutes, neither woman willing to interrupt Regina's reminiscence.

"I still miss him," she said, stabbing a piece of lettuce entirely too forcefully. "Every day."

"Of course you do." Mary Margaret patted her back, looking over to Kathryn. "You loved him."

" _Still_ love him," Regina corrected fiercely. "He's gone, not forgotten."

"Right. Of course. I'm sorry, Regina."

"And the older Henry gets, the more he reminds me of Daniel," Regina continued as if she hadn't heard the apology. "They have the same smile, same hair…they even drink their hot chocolate the same way."

"Whipped cream and cinnamon. Henry told me all about it when I had him in class. Daniel was his hero."

"He was." Regina nodded, swallowing the lump that had reappeared in her throat.

"But I was thinking…" Mary Margaret started tentatively. "Maybe it's time you got there out again."

Regina blinked, perplexed. "Out there?"

"You know…seeing people?" Kathryn offered helpfully.

Regina shook her head. "We've been over this. I don't need a man to make me happy. I don't want that storybook happy ending with a prince on a white horse coming to rescue me."

"No one's saying you need someone. We know you're strong and self-sufficient- "Mary Margaret began.

"And Henry's all the family I need," Regina interjected.

"Yes," Mary Margaret continued. "But he's going off to school next year. And wherever he goes, it'll be out of state. Regina, we know you're lonely. Anyone can see that, even if you're too proud to admit it." She looked at Regina meaningfully. "Maybe going on a date or two won't be the worst thing. I know a couple guys…"

Regina laughed hollowly. "Oh, this should be good. Let's hear it. Who do you know who could be good for me?"

"Well, David's pretty good friends with Graham. He's single and he's a nice guy from what I can see."

"The sheriff?" Regina considered the suggestion. She had seen him around town, of course, but she didn't really know him. "I'm not sure…"

"No one's saying you have to marry him. Just one date. Please," Kathryn pleaded, looking her in the eyes. "We just want you to be happy."

Regina mustered up a smile. "Okay. One date," she promised, knowing full well it would never happen.

At that moment, the bell rang. "Gym is over. I should get ready for my class," Mary Margaret said, spreading her papers back out on her desk.

Kathryn and Regina packed their leftovers up quickly. "It was good to see you. We should do this again soon," Regina said.

"Yeah, let's not wait months this time," Kathryn joked, putting on her coat.

Regina walked Kathryn to her car before continuing back to the diner. She felt warmth rising in her chest as she replayed the lunch in her mind. They'd given her a lot to contemplate, and for once, she didn't feel so alone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three suitors receive their letters.

One week later…

_Brooklyn, New York_

Robin Locksley opened the door to his apartment building, feeling exhausted. The case he'd been working on was familiar, but no less tragic for it. An older couple, looking to make some extra money during their retirement, invested a sizable chunk of their savings in what Robin clearly recognized as a pyramid scheme. Predictably, an unscrupulous Wall Street banker made off with their hard-earned money and the trusting couple had been left blind-sighted. Even after all these years, it still made Robin seethe to see corruption at work.

He had been working on the case for a couple weeks now, and was no closer to taking down the banker than when he had begun. They were too good at covering their tracks; working through others, or disguising their endeavors as legitimate corporations. This particular banker had become quite well known for his talents, and was, bafflingly, well loved. Robin had an entire briefcase full of case documents that he had read probably three times all the way through, and it wasn't enough to build a solid case against him.

He sighed. Every case seemed insurmountable until he finally found the crucial fact that would dismantle the opposition's argument. But enough work for tonight. Robin looked inside his mailbox out of sheer habit. He rarely got letters anymore. Most of his correspondence was from the water company, and power company, and rent…And yet, he still checked the mail every day after work.

Today, however, he saw an envelope in there. Robin checked to see that, yes, it was addressed to him. Intrigued, he took it out to look at the return address. Regina Mills. Robin squeezed his eyes shut. He hadn't heard that name in twenty years. Not since…

He touched the stylized lion on his forearm instinctively. Why would she be contacting him now?

As curious as he was, Robin decided to wait until he got inside his apartment to read the letter. He wanted to be seated on his couch before what would inevitably be a long read. Once he had locked his front door and walked to the old couch, he opened the envelope and started reading the letter inside.

The handwriting was impeccably neat, but appeared forced. Robin was reminded of his own school days, when he'd painstakingly trace out cursive letters on endless assignments because his actual handwriting had been deemed illegible by impatient teachers. He found it odd that Regina apparently had the same struggle. She had struck him as so put together.

It wasn't as long as he had expected; barely a page in all. Yet it took him fifteen minutes to read all the way through. Words blurred on the page, and Robin had to reread the full thing just to grasp anything more than _Regina Mills was contacting him._ After twenty years of nothing from her, of building a life for himself separate from the memory of the bright law intern, here she suddenly was again, entering his life.

And apparently, the feeling was mutual. According to the letter, she wanted him to come visit her in…Storybrooke, Maine? Robin chuckled. What an interesting name for a town. Said she had something she wanted to discuss with him. Unfinished business.

Well…that was true enough. The last time he saw her, she had run out of the tattoo parlor like the building had been on fire, and then refused to take any of his calls. Not that Robin still dwelt on this, of course. It just crept into his mind when he wasn't preoccupied with work, or his parents, or Roland…

Okay, so _maybe_ he dwelt on it a little. Robin hated unfinished business. Hated leaving things undone, unexplained, unclarified. His relationship with Regina had ended just like that. The last time they had ever spoken, Regina told him she needed time to think. Robin considered himself a reasonable man. He was patient, and didn't want to rush her. So he waited. When he tried calling her room again, a man answered, claiming he hadn't heard of any Regina.

It hurt, realizing that she'd left without ever saying goodbye, but he didn't have too long to brood. Once law school resumed, he didn't have time for anything other than never-ending case studies and briefs. He had thrown himself into work, even more motivated to succeed and prove his parents wrong. Twenty years later, he was one of the most accomplished lawyers at his firm, which had made a reputation for itself due to its unconventional clientele and excellent track record.

Robin didn't care about titles and accolades. All he cared about was making sure his clients got the justice they deserved. He hadn't lost a case in years, and he was hellbent to keep it that way. Which, logically, meant that he should be spending his evening trying to find a loophole in the case documents, not pondering Regina's letter.

He really did try. His documents were spread out on the dining table, notebook open to a half filled page, but his mind kept going back to the letter. Regina was a hole in his life that he kept on prodding, the way his tongue wandered to the cavities left by fallen baby teeth when he was a boy. He wouldn't be able to leave it alone. Sighing, he formulated a plan. However, in order for it to work, he needed to crack this case. And crack it he would, even if it took all night.

* * *

_Boston, Massachusetts_

Emma Swan breathed a sigh of relief as she pushed open her apartment door and could finally, _finally_ , kick off the torture devices some people referred to as stilettoes. High heels were the absolute worst. Not only did they limit her range of motion, but they also gave certain guys the wrong idea that they could flirt with her.

Actually, that was kind of the point this evening. She had dressed up to bust a guy skipping bail. But it didn't mean she had to like it. At least stilettoes were pointy; a fact that the bail skipper would remember as he limped home. He deserved it, after the name he called her.

She sat down at her counter and pulled out a cupcake from Georgetown Cupcake. It was one of their newer flavors; something with chocolate and caramel. Emma smiled at her cupcake before peeling off the liner.

"Way to go, Emma. Another job done," she congratulated herself, taking a big bite out of the cupcake and moaning. Georgetown did cupcakes right. It was one of her better discoveries in the five months she'd lived in Boston.

She didn't even notice the letter shoved under the doorway until she had finished devouring her cupcake. Emma rarely got mail. Most of her regular correspondence was electronic, since her email address changed less frequently than her physical one. She didn't even check her mailbox, so her landlord must've taken it upon himself to get her mail. It would have seemed like a nice gesture if Emma didn't know that he just did it so she wouldn't be late on her rent.

Still, she was curious about who would contact her here. Emma wracked her brain. Who even knew where she lived? She hadn't exactly left a forwarding address after she moved.

She looked in the top left corner of the envelope to see who had sent the letter, but the sender's name had been blurred by the rain characteristic of the Boston fall. However, she could see the address; someplace called Storybrooke, Maine.

Emma's danger radar pinged. Something seemed very unsettling about that name. It sounded fake. Warily, Emma opened the envelope, hoping that it wasn't a scam.  
 _Dear Emma_ , it started, and for some reason, Emma felt more at ease.

It didn't last long. With every next line, the knots in Emma's stomach grew tighter; threatening to burst by the time she reached the name written at the bottom.  
Regina Mills. The name swooped up from her subconscious and crashed against her temples, threatening to drag her down inside painful memories. Regina Mills was part of a past that she had left behind. Far behind. Emma had worked hard to turn herself into the person she was today, to extract every last trace of weakness and vulnerability with surgical precision. Eighteen-year-old Emma Swan could be taken advantage of by someone like Regina, who just wanted to use others. She was twenty years older and wiser now, and had learned not to trust those people.

She balled up the letter and crooked her arm, wrist back and poised to make a three-pointer in her garbage can, but something stopped her. Rage boiled inside her, leaving her unable to let go of the letter. Emma was in a state of emotional paralysis, unable to process anything other than the _fury_ she felt at Regina Mills for disturbing the life she had built up for herself.

Emma slowly unclenched her hand, letting the crumpled letter drop on the counter. The rolling boil turned into a frigid wave roaring in her head. How dare she. How dare Regina contact her, out of the blue, twenty years later, and drag up these memories for Emma? She had no right. Who did she think she was? Regina Mills; probably a big shot lawyer now, pulling in six figures, partnering at Mommy's firm. She'd always gotten everything she wanted. Did she think that she was entitled to other people too?

Well, she was mistaken there. She couldn't have Emma. There was no way in hell she'd be going all the way up to Maine just because Regina had a fit of nostalgia.  
Maine…Emma glanced at the envelope again. Storybrooke, Maine. What an interesting name for a town. It didn't strike her as the sort of glamorous place Regina Mills would end up. If she had spared her a thought, she would have imagined Regina somewhere in New York City, or Connecticut, rubbing elbows with the wealthy. What was she doing in Maine?

Emma had to admit she was a little curious. People tended to follow various predetermined schema, based on their upbringing. It made them boring, but predictable; a trait that Emma relied on greatly in her profession. This did not fit her schema of Regina, which intrigued her.

Maybe she would go see Regina. There was no way in hell that she'd ever give her a second chance, but she wanted to give her a piece of her mind. It was time for Regina to listen to someone for a change.

Emma carefully typed the address written on the envelope in her reminders on her phone, then stuck it inside a drawer.

"That's enough for tonight," she concluded, pulling a six pack out of her fridge and cracking one open.

* * *

_Miami, Florida_

Killian Jones was living the life. Every day was spent on the ocean with his number one lady: _The Jolly Roger_. Some days he'd have a woman with him, others it'd just be him and his boat. At night, he'd go clubbing and looking for babes. Yes, sir; he really had it made.

Today was particularly windy and the sea was bad tempered. He didn't want to risk damage to his precious boat. So, he docked _The Jolly Roger_ and decided to spend some time in the city; by which, Killian meant, take care of certain business he'd neglected.

He and his brother Liam owned _Buried Treasure_ together. The nautical nightclub had a boom in publicity after a certain pirate-themed movie franchise about a decade ago; but it declined once the franchise ended, leaving the club to take its place among the rest of Miami's gimmicky former hot destinations. However, the brothers Jones did not allow this setback to deter them from their dream of being successful club owners. They kept the club open and running, and still managed to attract a decent crowd on the weekends. During the day, it functioned as a bar, to a surprising amount of success.

Killian and Liam had divided the work equally. Killian was responsible for the lifeblood of the enterprise: alcohol procurement and entertainment. Of course, sometimes he personally entertained some of the more attractive female customers. Liam oversaw the business portion: paying bills, making sure that the building was up to code, and other things too boring for Killian to even remember. All he knew was that Liam kept the building running so Killian could fill it with people.

And fill it he did. He had a certain kind of easygoing charm that most women and some men (Killian was flattered, but uninterested) found irresistible. Add in his devilishly good looks, and he could have his pick on any given night.

Today, he decided to advertise a new promotion that Liam wanted to try: half price appetizers for everyone ordering a specialty cocktail. He grabbed a stack of fliers from the bar and set to work handing them out on the beach.

Soon enough, he ran out of fliers and had to return for more.

"Hi," Liam greeted him gruffly, wiping down the bar with a towel. "What're you doing back so soon?"

"I need more fliers," Killian explained, reaching for a fresh pile.

"Liam nodded in acknowledgment, then put his towel down. "A letter came for you. It's in the pile." He motioned to a stack of envelopes Killian hadn't noticed.

"Thanks, brother." Killian reached for the pile and began leafing through. Bills, advertisements, nothing of his concern, until he got to an unassuming plain envelope addressed to him.

He opened it eagerly, not bothering to look at the return address until he'd read the entire letter. So, Regina Mills wanted to see him again. He puffed his chest. Of course she would. He had a stellar reputation as a lover. It was only natural that she'd want more.

"I'm going on a little trip to-" he flipped the envelope over to look at the address "-Maine."

"Why?" Liam asked. "What's in Maine?"

"Personal business," Killian replied.

"I see," Liam said, pausing knowingly. "What's her name?"

"Not everything I do is for women," Killian defended halfheartedly.

Liam looked at him, exasperated.

"Regina Mills."

"Oh. Who is she?"

"I have no idea, mate. But she knows me. And I must have impressed her, because she personally invited me up to visit."

"So…you're going to visit someone you don't even know? That seems safe." Liam remarked sarcastically.

"Hey, I can take care of myself. Besides, when's the last time I got a vacation?"

"You're out on that boat every day while I run the business," Liam pointed out.

Killian ignored him.

"Maine, yeah?" Killian nodded. "Just promise me you'll check out the local cider. I've been looking to branch out. Too many rum-based drinks on our menu."

Killian appeared pained. "What's wrong with rum?"

"Not everyone loves it as much as you." Liam smacked him lightly with the towel.

Killian raised his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay. I will. Maybe it'll bring in more business."

"Maybe if you put some effort into the parts of the club that don't get you laid, we'd have more business," Liam muttered under his breath bitterly, wiping the counter more roughly than necessary.

"Did you say something, brother?" Killian raised an eyebrow.

Liam sighed. "No. Have a good trip. Remember, check out the cider."

Killian gave a soldier's salute. "Aye aye, captain."

"Don't do anything too stupid," Liam called after him, but Killian had already left.

* * *

_Another week later…_

_Storybrooke, Maine_

Ava hadn't spoken to Henry in two weeks. Usually, he would have welcomed the reprieve from her teasing, but something seemed off. She was too quiet. It was like her fire had been completely extinguished.

"What's wrong with her?" Henry asked Nick one day, but he just shrugged.

"It's not my place to say, man. She's hurt. You should talk to her."

"How? She's avoiding me," Henry pointed out.

Nick kept looking at the ground. "I think you should apologize to her."

"Why? She was the one being rude to me."

"You were pretty rude back," Nick observed. "And as abrasive as Ava can be, she has feelings too."

Henry sighed. "Okay. Fine. I'm sorry I hurt her feelings."

"Tell that to her, not me. I gotta get to class." Nick waved goodbye. Henry had a free period, so he wasn't worried about being late. He spotted Ava in the crowd and grabbed her shoulder to get her attention.

"Hey…Ava," he started awkwardly. She stared at him stonily. "I just wanted to say…I'm sorry for what I said and hurting your feelings. That wasn't fair."  
She regarded him silently, waiting.

"Look, uh, I don't know why you were so against me sending those letters, but it wasn't enough of a reason to act like a jerk. So, are we cool?" Henry fiddled with the inner lining of his jeans pockets.

Ava just shook her head. "Whatever, dork."

Henry smiled. That was Ava's version of affection.

"Out of curiosity…why were you so upset?" Henry asked.

She looked at him so darkly that Henry thought she was mad at him again.

"After school. I'm late for class." Ava pointed at the clock across the hall.

He waited for the twins at her locker after last period.

"So?" Henry prompted once they had left the building.

Ava sighed. "So, we've been friends since elementary school, right?"

Henry said, not entirely sure how this was related.

"But we weren't really close until middle school."

"Okay…"

"Have you ever met our mom?"

Henry screwed up his face trying to remember. "No, I haven't…" It hadn't struck him as weird until now. After all, he'd spent almost half his life without his father.

"That's because she left. When we were in sixth grade, she left Dad and skipped town. We haven't heard from her since."

The information hung heavily in the air as the three teenagers walked.

"So what happened?" Henry asked, facing Ava.

"I tried writing to her when I was in eighth grade. Did the same sort of amateur spy work as you; found her address and everything. I told her I missed her and wanted her to come back." Ava inhaled sharply.

"What did she say?" Henry asked, his voice gentler.

"She didn't," Ava said bluntly. "I never got a response."

"Wow." Henry exhaled wearily. "And then when I wanted to send my letters-"

Ava nodded. "I just wanted to spare you. It took me a long time to get over it. I didn't want you to get hurt too."

Henry smiled genuinely. "Thanks, Ava. You're a good friend."

She looked at him, feigning offense. "Of course I am! Was there ever a question?"

They both laughed. Henry snuck a look at Nick, who seemed more relaxed now.

"Who's up for cocoa at the diner?" Henry offered.

"When have we ever turned down cocoa?" Nick answered his question with one of his own, smiling.

All three teenagers were in a good mood as they walked into Apple of My Eye. The diner was half empty, in the lull between lunch and dinner. Ruby was wiping tables and making conversation with the few patrons present. She smiled when she saw them.

"Hey guys." She walked over, leaning on the counter. "What can I get ya?"

"Three cocoas, Ruby," Henry requested, taking a seat at the bar and slinging his backpack over it.

"You got it, guys." Ruby saluted, making their drinks and bringing them over.

"Thanks," they all said in unison.

Ruby smiled. "You're welcome. You mind if I sit here with you?" She leaned in conspiratorially. "Your mom's got me on my feet all day and they're killing me."

Henry laughed. "Oh come on. Mom lets you rest whenever you want," he teased, but patted the empty seat next to his. "What's up?"

"I have major gossip." Ruby's eyes sparkled playfully. "Care to guess?"

"What, is Gold buying the library _another_ building?" Ava guessed, the slightest hint of malice tinging her words.

Ruby shook her head. "Bigger than that. Any other takers?" She looked at the boys.

Henry shook his head, and Nick followed suit. "We have no idea, Ruby. What is it?"

Ruby smiled secretively. "Well, we have visitors in Storybrooke. I can't remember the last time someone came in from out of town."

Henry began to frown. "You don't say."

Ruby nodded. "They all checked into the bed and breakfast. Said they didn't know how long they were staying, but it looked like they'd be here a while."

A sinking feeling appeared in Henry's stomach. It couldn't be…

"Ruby, how many visitors are here?" Trepidation shook his words.

Ruby looked up, concentrating. "Three. Why?"

Henry and Ava looked at each other concernedly.

They were here.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three suitors arrive in Storybrooke; Henry does damage control after letting it slip that he knows them.

"They're here," Henry whispered.

Nick and Ava stared at him.

"They're _here_ ," he repeated urgently, his back turned completely to Ruby now.

Neither teenager responded.

Ruby cleared her throat. "Um, I do have ears. Who's here? Do you know our visitors?"

Henry spun around to face her. "Uh…" was his eloquent response.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes," Ruby continued. "So, how do you know these people, Henry?"

"I…don't? Which people? Visitors in Storybrooke? That's new." Henry scrambled.

Ruby shook her head, her eyes shooting up toward her eyebrows. "I wasn't born yesterday. Is everything okay? You seem upset."

"I'm, uh, fine, Ruby." Henry smiled faintly. "Really. Nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?" Ruby examined him. "You seem to know who our visitors are, even though I've barely told you anything about them." Henry could see the wheels spinning in her head. "Henry, did you invite them here?"

"Keep your voice down," Henry hissed, glancing around the diner. "Ruby, can you keep a secret?"

Ruby frowned. "Yeah. Unless someone's in trouble." She crossed her arms. "No one's in trouble, right?"

"Depends on your definition of trouble…" Henry shifted in his seat guiltily. "I may have invited them here," he mumbled into his cocoa.

"Come again?" Ruby cupped a hand around her ear expectantly.

Henry tore himself away from his mug and looked her in the eye. "The three visitors who came here? If they're who I think they are, I invited them here. It can't be a coincidence."

Ruby was taken aback, blinking rapidly with her mouth gaping. "Henry…all three of them look like they're your mom's age." She paused, considering her next words carefully. "How did you find these people? Did you find them…online?"

Henry barked a mirthless laugh. "They're not pedophiles, Ruby. At least, I don't think they are."

"Oh, that's reassuring," Ruby retorted.

"Can I finish?" Henry asked, exasperated.

Ruby nodded reluctantly.

He looked around the diner to make sure his mother was still out of earshot in the kitchen, then continued, his voice lowered. "I invited them here _for_ my mom. They're people from her past. I found them in one of her diaries."

"You read your mom's diary?" Ruby was scandalized.

"Way to focus on important details, Ruby," Ava remarked scathingly.

Ruby shot her an angry glare.

"We'll go finish our cocoa in a booth," Nick said awkwardly, picking up his mug and looking pointedly at Ava, who begrudgingly followed suit.

Ruby ignored them. "So, you read your mom's diary and, what? Decided to just invite people that she used to know before moving here?"

"There's a bit more to it than that…" Henry trailed off. "They're all people she knew before she met Dad. People she was…involved with," he elaborated uncomfortably.

Ruby grimaced. "Oh. Oh God. You mean they were all her…?"

Henry nodded uneasily.

"Henry you had _no right_ to do that," she scolded him. "If they're in your mom's past and not her present, there had to be a reason for that."

Henry rolled his eyes, clenching his teeth. "Spare me the lecture. I already got it from Ava."

"Huh." Ruby was clearly impressed against her will. It lasted all of two seconds. "And I'm assuming that it didn't occur to you to tell your mother? What on earth were you thinking?" She spat harshly. The words may as well have been bullets.

"This isn't really the best place to discuss that." Henry tried to calm her down, eyes darting back toward the kitchen before returning to Ruby. "Maybe we could talk about it later?" He suggested.

"I think this is the perfect place to discuss this," Ruby stated loudly, drawing a couple of puzzled looks from the tables. "No time like the present."

"I'll tell you later, Ruby," Henry promised hastily, shooting nervous glances at the kitchen and feeling his stomach turn.

"Oh, you don't want me to tell Regina? I have half a mind to go tell her right now! " Ruby huffed, hands planted squarely on her hips. Quite a few patrons had now turned to see what was going on between their waitress and the owner's son. "She has a right to know. She should have been the first one to know about this, not the last!"

"People are staring, Ruby," Henry pointed out calmly. "Keep your voice down. We don't want them to think something's wrong."

"Right, because everything's just peachy," she muttered bitterly.

"Ruby…these are all people that made Mom happy." Henry exhaled wearily. "I thought that if they made her happy before she met Dad, they could make her happy again now that he's gone. That's all. She's been so miserable since Dad died. I just wanted her to be happy, the way she was when he was alive."

The hard glint in Ruby's eyes softened considerably.

"Please. Don't tell her now. I'll tell her… once I figure out how," Henry pleaded.

"Fine," Ruby grumbled. "But if your mom ends up hurt, I'm the first person you'll have to answer to."

Henry nodded rapidly. "Thanks, Ruby. I just need to figure out how to break the news to her so she isn't completely caught off guard."

Ruby hmphed. "Good luck with that, kid. I hope you know what you're doing."

Henry gulped. "So do I."

At that moment, Regina exited the kitchen, balancing a tray of steaming hot pastries on her hip.

"Figured we needed more muffins; we were running low," she explained, arranging them systematically in the display case. "What's going on out here? I heard some raised voices. Everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, Mom," Henry said, shooting a warning glance at Ruby, who pursed her lips in discontent. "Right, Ruby?"

She opened her mouth with fire blazing in her eyes, then clamped it shut. Regina turned away from the counter, tilting her head quizzically toward Ruby. Henry mouthed _You promised_ from behind Regina. Ruby smiled half-heartedly.

"Yeah, everything's fine," she said unconvincingly. Henry's eyes widened in fear. "Henry and I-" Ruby stopped suddenly, a wicked gleam playing in her eyes "-were just discussing how he thought you might need some help running the businesses."

"We wer-" Ruby elbowed him "-yes, we were. You run the diner and the bed and breakfast all by yourself. You're really overworked, Mom." Henry winced, rubbing his side.

Regina smiled at him adoringly. "Henry, that's very thoughtful of you, but you don't need to do that. I have everything under control here. Besides, you have your schoolwork to worry about."

Henry's eyes shifted from Ruby to Regina; the former with a smug grin plastered to her face and the latter's professional façade hiding the fact that she appeared to be on the verge of collapsing. In that instant, he made up his mind. "No, it's fine, Mom. I can help out with the bed and breakfast. It's not like it's all booked or something." He chuckled at his own weak joke. "All I have to do is dust and vacuum, right? The rooms aren't that big, it won't take long."

"And wash the sheets and make the beds," Regina reminded. Henry rolled his eyes.

"Mom, they don't get dirty. No one's used them in ages."

"I don't want guests sleeping in unwashed sheets." Regina raised an eyebrow emphatically. "Everything needs to be ready just in case someone wants to check in."

"Which might be sooner than you think," he murmured under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Oh- nothing!"

"Uh huh." Regina pursed her lips, unconvinced, but apparently decided not to pursue the matter. She furrowed her brows, contemplating. "Taking care of the bed and breakfast is a big responsibility. Are you sure you can handle it?"

"I'm sure." He insisted. "You just leave it up to me. I'll take care of everything. Take your mind off the bed and breakfast. Actually, you might as well forget it exists." He gnawed his lip, cursing his slipup.

Regina regarded him suspiciously. "You better not be planning anything crazy with my business," she warned, shaking a muffin at him. "Forgot to eat lunch." She bit the crumbly muffin, eyes fluttering shut as she let out a guttural sigh of appreciation. Hunger abated, she continued lecturing. "I've had that bed and breakfast since you-"

"Since I was born; yeah, I know, Mom." Henry had heard the story every time a teaching opportunity had presented itself; her successful ownership of The Little Prince had illustrated perseverance, work ethic, and integrity in various instances.

"So I'm sure you can appreciate the magnitude of my letting you look after it." It took Henry a second to register her words. He beamed excitedly.

"You mean it?!"

"Don't make me regret it," she cautioned, her stern tone juxtaposing with the proud smile that graced her features.

"Thanks, Mom! I won't let you down," he promised gratefully, "Things will be so much easier for you, believe me. I'll make sure everything runs smoothly. Use the extra time for yourself. Read a book or something. Take a nap. Help your favorite son with his precalc homework." Regina shook her head good-naturedly, laughing at his hopeful request.

"I can't promise you homework help, but I'll see what I can do about the rest." She smiled at him wistfully. "You're a good son, Henry."

"Thanks, Mom," he replied, shoving aside the guilty pang that shot through his chest. "I'll go check on the bed and breakfast before dinner, just to make sure everything's okay."

"Okay, dear. I appreciate the help." Henry could see her tearing up, a sentimental smile playing on her face, and could have kicked himself for deceiving her.

"I've got it all under control."

For a second, he almost believed his own lie.

* * *

 

"Nice save," Ruby snickered after Regina went back into the kitchen, looking very pleased with herself.

"Yeah, thanks for that!" Henry fired back resentfully. "Do you realize that I have to run the entire bed and breakfast now?"

"Well it shouldn't be a problem, seeing as no one's staying there," Ruby said sarcastically.

"Cute."

"Hey, don't blame me." Ruby raised her hands in defeat. "Good intentions or not, I wasn't the one who invited those people."

"And yet, you're the one who's enjoying this way too much."

"When life gives you lemons," she quipped, toasting him with her coffee mug. Henry was decidedly unamused. "Oh come on, it's not like anything interesting happens here. This is the most exciting news in Storybrooke since Jefferson opened the White Rabbit."

Henry ignored her. "What am I supposed to do, Ruby?" He implored. "I can't let her find out now. She thinks I'm son of the year or something. If she found out that I'm lying to her, it would break her heart."

"Should've thought of that earlier."

"Not helping, Ruby."

"Oh, I'm sorry, are you asking for my help _now_ , after you got yourself into this mess?" Ruby cupped a hand around her ear in anticipation. "Maybe you should have come to me _before_ you asked me to lie to my _best friend._ "

"Look, I didn't think they'd actually come. It was a long shot. But now they're all here, and I need to go do damage control before one of them runs into Mom." Henry sighed. "So can I count on you to keep her away from the bed and breakfast until I've explained things to them?"

"Fine." Ruby fumed. "You have the afternoon to go straighten this out. I don't want to lie to Regina any longer than I have to."

"Don't lie; maybe just…don't give her any updates on the bed and breakfast." Henry shrugged.

"Lying by omission is still lying, Henry," Ruby argued.

"Now isn't the time for technicalities." Henry slung his backpack over his shoulder. "I'm heading over there now. Just keep her busy for a little while. Besides, I need to vacuum all the rooms and stuff." He tried for a comforting smile.

Ruby sniffled glumly. "Good luck, Henry. I hope you get this resolved soon. I can't bear the thought of Regina finding out on her own."

"Me neither." The bell jingled as Henry exited the diner, tearing into a run across the street.

* * *

 

Regina hummed contentedly, sprinkling a little cinnamon into her apple filling. She scooped some onto a small spoon, tasting the mixture. _Just a touch more_ , she thought, shaking the bottle a few more times into the bowl and stirring in the brown flecks until they disappeared. _Perfect._

She worked mechanically, rolling out the pastry dough and cutting out uniform circles, spooning a generous dollop of filling into each and crimping the edges shut. Baking was her favorite activity in the kitchen. She'd memorized all her recipes, finalized painstakingly through trial and error years ago, and could recite them in her sleep. It was nice, being able to make delicious treats without having to constantly think of what came next; just working her way through the steps automatically, letting her mind wander…

The oven beeped, alerting her that the previous batch was done. She pulled out the tray, slamming it onto the counter and replacing it with a fresh one. Regina shut the door with a relaxed sigh. These were the moments she savored, after lunch had finished and before dinner prep consumed her evening. Making turnovers was somehow therapeutic; every batch consistent, the recipe unchanging, a constant in her tumultuous life.

She took inventory of the aluminum trays covering a good portion of her work space, mentally calculating whether it'd be enough food to last the afternoon. The pumpkin chocolate chip cookies had been selling out at an alarming rate, as seasonal items usually did. Maybe she could pop another batch into the oven…she had dough chilling in the refrigerator. She'd wait and see before she did that; those cookies were best warm and chewy, and they hardened so quickly. There was still a decent amount left in the display case, so maybe she wouldn't have to bake any more today.

The apple turnovers had cooled enough to handle, and Regina wedged the spatula between their browned bottoms and the parchment paper, unsticking them and depositing them onto a platter. The dough had crisped up beautifully; shiny, flaky layers hiding her signature apple filling. A dusting of powdered sugar finished them off. She set one aside for Henry and rearranged the rest to fill in the hole, knowing that they'd would sell out within the hour. Apple turnovers were her most popular item, and with the diner's name, Regina could hardly wonder why.

Henry! The spatula clattered onto the counter. He told her he would go clean up the bed and breakfast before dinner, and while she appreciated the gesture, it'd be difficult without cleaning supplies. Since she was the primary caretaker of the bed and breakfast, she had stashed the cleaning supplies in the small storage closet next to the freezer. That way, they were within reach during those off hours when the diner was empty, and she could dash across the street to make sure everything was in order.

She peered through the little rectangular window near the top of the kitchen door, but Henry was nowhere in sight. He must have already left. Armed with a bucket holding rags and a feather duster, Regina left her kitchen.

"Gotta get these to Henry…forgot he didn't know where the cleaning supplies were…fresh turnovers on the kitchen counter," she panted to a confused Ruby, halfway to the door. The waitress opened her mouth to protest. "I'll just be gone a minute. Thanks, Ruby!" She sprinted across the street, the duster clanging around in the bucket, and opened the door of the bed and breakfast.

"Henry!" She called out, looking around the check-in desk, and up and down the narrow hallway that stretched out in either direction. No sign of him anywhere.

Confused, she noticed that three of the room keys were missing from the bulletin board where they hung in a neat array. It struck Regina as peculiar that he'd only take a few keys, instead of one at a time or all at once. As she pondered this, the ancient computer at the front desk dinged and a notification popped up in the bottom right corner.

 _Room reserved! Transaction successfully processed for Jones, K…_ , she read before the window faded away. She frowned. Someone was staying at the bed and breakfast? No one had checked into it in ages. Most people just used the rooms as a makeshift conference space, or for certain less savory affairs. Even so, she hadn't had a reservation for a few weeks.

Biting her lip, she stared at the computer screen, which offered nothing helpful in its grid of desktop icons. Jones was such a common last name. Perhaps the registration software could give her some answers. Her cursor hovered over the icon, ready to open the program and reveal what exactly was going on, when she suddenly heard voices carrying from down the hall. Her hand jerked away from the mouse as if burned. Henry wasn't alone.

"Henry?" She picked up her bucket and ran.

* * *

"Thanks for being so patient," Henry said, facing Robin and Emma, who were seated gingerly on the bed, and Killian, who sat in the one sofa. "Welcome to The Little Prince. Were you able to check in okay?"

"Yeah, some girl checked us in. Ruby, I think she said her name was?" Killian grinned. " _Very_ helpful."

"Good." Henry breathed out a sigh of relief and made a mental note to thank Ruby later. "So…this is what the rooms look like." He swept an arm around the small room, which contained a twin bed, desk and chair, armoire, and sofa.

"Cozy," Emma commented, examining the patchwork quilt that was folded over the foot of the bed. "Very…quaint."

"It doesn't look like much, but it's comfortable," Henry said apologetically. "You get complementary breakfast at the diner across the street, and wakeup call is at 7, if you want it."

"That's great, thanks." Robin scooted to the edge of the bed, smoothing down his pantlegs. "When can I see Regina?"

Henry swallowed. "Well, she's still working at the diner. Probably halfway through dinner prep by now. I wouldn't disturb her."

Emma squinted at Robin suspiciously. "Regina? Do you by any chance mean Regina Mills?"

"Yeah, that's the one." He turned to face her. "You know her too?"

She snorted derisively. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Unbelievable, I'm here to see her too!" Killian leaned forward eagerly.

"So she invited all of us?" Robin scratched his head in confusion, then shrugged. "So, when can we see her?"

"Soon. Like I said, she's very busy right now." Henry stalled.

"Well inviting someone just to make them wait seems kind of rude." Killian adjusted his leather jacket. "Can't she take a quick break to say hi?"

"She could…soon…" Henry said desperately, unable think of any more excuses to give. "As soon as I tell her you're here?"

"She doesn't know we're here?" Robin raised an eyebrow warily.

"Uh…well, it's kind of funny that you should mention it. You're gonna think this is hilarious."

Emma crossed her arms, indicating that she thought whatever he said next would be anything but.

"Um…okay, so, maybe Regina didn't exactly invite you herself." Henry shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I wrote the letters," he confessed. "I'm Henry. Regina's son."

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Emma snapped. "Like, is there a hidden camera or something in the closet?" She scowled. "You can come out now! Haha, very funny! I drove up here all the way from Boston because I thought Regina wanted to see me. Do you know how long that took?"

Henry squirmed, feeling guiltier by the second. "I'm sorry…"

"Is Regina Mills even here?"

"She is," Henry confirmed. "And I am her son. I wasn't lying about that. I just haven't told her I invited you all yet."

"You're playing a dangerous game, kid," Emma growled, clutching her suitcase protectively.

"Wait, so Regina didn't invite me?" Killian appeared deflated. "I thought she wanted to see me again, for old times' sake."

"She does…she might…I don't know!" Henry blurted out. "Look, _I_ wrote the letters. _I_ invited you up here, _for her_. You're all people who meant a lot to her. I thought I was doing her a favor. I just wanted her to be happy again…"

"Kid…" Emma sighed, resting her head in her hands. Robin and Killian exchanged a knowing look.

"Henry…what I think Emma is trying to say is that maybe this wasn't the smartest idea," Robin said diplomatically, casting her a sidelong glance. "Regina might not even want us here."

"That's just because she hasn't seen you yet," he persisted. "Once she sees all of you, her memories will come rushing back and-"

"And what? Our eyes are going to meet across the room and we're going to feel that magical spark? True love conquers all? Happily ever after and all that crap?" Emma questioned cynically. "It doesn't work that way in real life." She stood up abruptly. "See you around, kid."

"Wait! Please; just stay until you see her," Henry begged. "Then you can explain to her how you're just an innocent victim in this situation who got screwed over by her son and I'll get grounded until I go to college."

"Guilt trips don't work on me." Still, she sat back down. "Just until I see her. Then I'll be on my way back to Boston."

"Well, maybe you could stay until tomorrow. I mean, you did pay for your room," Henry said, looking at all three confidently. "All of you."

Killian shook his head disbelievingly. "And I thought Florida was weird."

A hushed silence fell over the room, the three visitors considering their options.

"Can we go see Regina now?" Robin asked finally.

Before Henry could answer, he heard footsteps.

* * *

Regina strode down the hallway purposefully, following the voices as they grew louder. Who on earth was here with Henry? Surely she would have been made aware of someone checking into the bed and breakfast. A door had been left ajar near the end of the hallway, light spilling out onto the wooden floor. She burst in, ready to explode at whomever was with her son, when the strangest sight met her eyes.

On the bed were Robin Locksley and Emma Swan. They had changed somewhat in the two decades that had passed, but were still very much recognizable. Henry stood frozen in the center of the room. And a black-haired man offered her a mischievous smirk from the sofa, waggling his fingers toward her. Oh God…Killian Jones. _Jones, K.!_

Surprise and bewilderment flitted across her face as she processed what she was seeing. Such a bizarre gathering…like something out of her nightmares. Never in her life did she think she would have seen those three again, especially not at the same time. Her son didn't seem at all troubled by their presence. He just stood there, observing her reaction.

"Mom?"

"Henry?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina deals with the aftermath of seeing the three suitors.

Regina stared at the scene before her.

"What's going on here?" She asked, struggling to maintain her composure. It couldn't be…what on earth were they doing here?

"I was just giving them a tour of the bed and breakfast," Henry explained. Regina gawked at the three intruders, who, she noted with some satisfaction, at least had the decency to look uncomfortable.

"Why would they need a tour of the bed and breakfast?" It didn't make any sense. Surely this was a nightmare. In a minute, she'd wake up in her own bed, in the loft above the bed and breakfast, to greet the gray and cloudy dreariness of the Maine dawn. She'd glance across the room to find Henry still asleep in the tiny bedroom partitioned off from the main space, and get out of bed. She'd trudge to the bathroom and drowsily brush her teeth before getting ready for her long day. Most importantly, none of this would be real. Right? It was just a nightmare.

"Because they're staying here?" Henry tilted his head in confusion. "Are you feeling okay, Mom? You don't look so good."

"I- no, I'm fine, Henry. What are you doing in Storybrooke?" She addressed the three visitors, dumbfounded.

They answered in turn.

"Visiting clients for a case."

"Chasing down a perp."

"Aye, that's personal, love."

Regina tore her eyes away from Killian's smug smirk, passing them over Emma's quietly defiant stance and Robin's thoughtful expression.

"You're- you're all…in Storybrooke, in my bed and breakfast- you can't be here!" Regina blurted out, feeling her heart race and hearing her heartbeat pound in her ears. Someone had let all the oxygen out of the room. She gasped to catch her breath. _Inhale, exhale._ Everything spun around her. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Regina said much more firmly than she felt, grounding herself in the spot where she stood. The room stopped swaying. "I don't know why you're here, but this is my bed and breakfast and you can't stay here."

"But Mom, I already processed their reservations. Canceling them is gonna be tough," Henry protested, but a note of regret crept into his words.

"You-you processed their reservations?" Regina gaped at her son. "And you didn't tell me?"

"Well, yeah." Henry shrugged noncommittally. "Who do you think got into the software?"

Her eyes bore daggers into him, igniting dangerously. "Henry Daniel Mills, how dare you hack into my computer?"

Henry crossed his arms challengingly. "I'd hardly call it hacking. Seriously, you need to start changing your passwords. You can't just use my birthday for everything."

"You had _no right_ to check these people in without coming to me first," she scolded. Henry stared down at the ground sheepishly, his clenched teeth the only outward sign he gave of rebellion.

"What's the big deal? It's not like you've had a problem with anyone wanting to check in before. We could use the business," he countered, but without conviction.

"That was different. I meant people from town. These people are…are…" Regina cast about for an appropriate description of what these people were, exactly, and why that would prevent them from staying in the bed and breakfast. "They're not people I want here," she finished lamely.

"The feeling is mutual," Emma muttered irritably. Regina pretended not to hear her.

"You wound me." Killian clasped his right hand over his heart, throwing his head back melodramatically.

Robin cleared his throat. "Look, Regina, if you really don't want us here, we'll get out of your hair. But none of us are from around here, and we don't have anywhere else to go. Is it really the end of the world if we just stayed the night?"

Regina quirked her eyebrows skeptically, indicating that yes, it would in fact be the end of the world. Henry looked at her pleadingly.

"They already paid for the night, Mom. Can't we let them stay until tomorrow?"

"Apparently my wishes mean nothing in my own business," Regina grumbled. She swallowed hard, narrowing her eyes at the unwanted company.

"You let me run the bed and breakfast. That includes deciding who can stay," Henry reminded her stubbornly.

"Yes, and I see now that I should have taken some more time before making that decision." Regina sighed. "You clearly weren't ready."

"That's not fair!" Henry shouted indignantly. "You said I could have this responsibility! You can't just change your mind because someone you don't like decided to check in!"

Regina's nostrils flared and her eyes sparked warningly. She would not be disrespected by her son.

"Do not raise your voice at me, young man," Regina said in a deadly whisper. Henry's eyes dropped back to the floor as he pouted. She exhaled, unclenching her fists and letting her arms drop to her sides. "I need some air."

Measured footsteps took her out of the room, her calm lasting halfway down the hallway before she ran, the front door slamming shut behind her and the scenery blurring around her. The frosty wind whipped her face until she reached her diner, her blessed sanctuary from this insanity. She threw the door open, annoyed that the jingling bell announced her entrance so loudly, and briskly crossed the checkered tiles to her pantry.

Regina jiggled the doorknob, opening the door and walking inside. With a herculean effort, her face remained stoic as she closed the door behind her, clicking the lock into place. Once she had ensured that no one could enter, she turned her back to the diner, slumping down against the door.

Muffled murmurs filtered through the door, people clearly wondering about the display they had just witnessed. Regina closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. Finally, she could think in peace.

What had just happened? Of all the people on the earth, it had to be _those_ three who'd show back up in her life. Who'd want to check into _her_ bed and breakfast for some unknown reason. They came uninvited, interrupting the blissful life she had made for herself. She had fought so hard to leave her past behind, but it appeared that she just couldn't shake it. Life had a twisted sense of humor, she thought bitterly, drawing her knees into her chest and hugging them.

Why were they here? They hadn't really given her conclusive answers. Regina wasn't sure she believed their flimsy excuses. Surely her small town wasn't harboring any criminals. Which begged the question: what had really brought them here? Were they here…for her? Or was there a modicum of truth to their series of incredible stories?

All she knew for certain was that she _did not want_ them back in her life. They were part of a past on which she had closed the door. She'd had her summer of fun, and that was that. One last hurrah before she'd met Daniel and settled down. No need to drag up ancient history. Twenty years had passed since she had seen any of them, and she had been quite content with that fact. Now they were here again. Regina knew she'd have to deal with them sooner or later…she just preferred to postpone the unpleasant confrontations as long as possible.

Someone rapped on the door.

"Regina? Are you okay in there?" Ruby called from the other side.

"Mmhm!" Regina yelped, taking a deep shuddering breath. Her pantry was significantly colder than the rest of the diner, and she could feel the pads of her fingers cooling her legs. Strangely, it helped her regain her sense of calm. "Just…felt a little dizzy. That muffin was too little too late. Gonna sit in here a bit until I get my bearings."

"You sure?" Ruby sounded unconvinced. "It's so cold in there. At least come into the kitchen. I'm sure you could persuade the chef to give you something more substantial." Regina choked out a small sob at her good-natured teasing.

"No, that's okay!" Tears were brimming in her eyes. She couldn't let Ruby see that she was crying. "Just give me a few minutes."

"Regina, I don't know what's going on in there, but you're clearly not okay. Please just come out here and I can help." Evidently Ruby had heard the quiver in her voice. She buried herself further in her knees, praying that Ruby would just go away.

"I'm fine, Ruby," she said in what she hoped was a persuasive voice. "I'll be right out."

Miraculously, Ruby had seemed to heed her unspoken request. No response came from the diner, and she breathed out a sigh of relief. Assured that she was truly alone, she let the hot salty tears spill from her eyes.

It wasn't fair! Hadn't she been a good person? Mother's opinion aside, Regina had lived a good life. She had married a good man, raised a wonderful son, made an honest, if meager, living. Shouldn't she be free from the ghosts of her past?

What cruel irony governed her life that she be forced to relive her past sins? Her most tragic heartbreak, apart from…Regina shook her head violently. There was no need to think about _that_ now. Not when there were much more pertinent matters at hand. Her mind could only handle so much torment at a time.

Henry had said they paid for the night. He outright refused to cancel their reservation. She filed away that bit of deliberate disobedience for further action. So, all she'd have to do is get through one night, and then come morning, she'd convince them they'd be better off staying in the next town over. Simple enough.

Except…

She hadn't seen them in twenty years. As much as she hated to admit it, a tiny part of her was curious to see what had become of them. It wasn't every day you were reunited with your former lover. Lovers. Ugh.

Regina growled in frustration, running her fingers through her hair, which had strayed from the elastic keeping it out of her face. It was all too complicated. Maybe if just one had shown up, she could have handled it. All three at once was too much.

But which one? Which former lover would she have rather seen after so long? Jumbled memories swam around her head: beaches and bars and hurried coffee dates, flirtatious laughter and illicit drinks shared under moonlight. While the memories were hazy, the impressions they had left were quite vivid. And decidedly negative. But it can't have been all bad. She wouldn't have stayed with someone who made her feel that terrible. Perhaps she was just misinterpreting her memories.

_Ah, but you didn't end up staying with any of them_ , a shrewd little voice nagged in the back of her head. Regina swatted it away.

This was pointless. She'd chased the same train of thought around the chaotic wasteland of her mind so many times it had completely derailed. Her stomach rumbled in protest, reminding her that the excuse she gave to Ruby wasn't entirely a lie. She searched the metal shelves stacked on the walls for something ready to eat, but unfortunately couldn't see anything more filling than apples, and she really wasn't in the mood for fruit.

Suddenly, her musing was interrupted by a sharp knock.

"Regina!" It seemed Ruby had returned.

"What is she doing in there?" And apparently she'd brought company. Excellent.

"Hiding. She's barricaded herself in and won't tell me why." Ruby's voice carried through the door, and presumably the diner. Regina sank down, mortified. What would people say? This wasn't professional behavior. She'd lose business and could kiss Henry's tuition money goodbye.

"Are you okay?" Regina could make out Mary Margaret's voice.

"Uh huh!" She squeaked, her voice unnaturally high. The crying had ravaged her vocal cords, and Regina couldn't trust her voice not to betray her.

"She's lying," Ruby said unnecessarily. "She's been in there forty minutes already."

"We just want to talk," Mary Margaret said soothingly. Regina was under the impression the schoolteacher was addressing one of her mischievous fourth graders again. "Please, just open the door."

"Yeah, we don't want you to be upset all by yourself," added a third voice. Kathryn, she deduced.

"I'm okay, just a little…shaken." Regina gulped. "I'll be right out."

"That's what you said the first time I checked on you. Seriously, Regina, what's the matter?"

She shook her head rapidly to clear it. Reluctantly, she rose to her feet and unlocked the door. The doorknob turned, opening the door to reveal her three companions. Ruby stood in the middle and stepped back, clearly waiting for Regina to walk back into the diner.

"In here," Regina beckoned, dragging them into the pantry. They stumbled in quite unwillingly, tripping over each other, with Kathryn catching herself on the last shelf.

"Regina, it is _freezing_ in here," Ruby complained, rubbing her arms through the sleeves of her paper-thin top.

"Do you have any better ideas?" Regina challenged. "I agreed to talk to you. I did not agree to talk to you in front of all my customers. Do you have any idea how bad that would be for business?"

Ruby sighed, sharing a look with the others. "You've been in here almost an hour. You're gonna get sick, and then you won't be able to look after your precious customers. Since, you know, they're the most important thing to you." The comment stung Regina, and the fire extinguished from her eyes. Perhaps she'd been too harsh.

"Oh, no, it's not like that, Ruby, I-" Ruby cut off her stream of apologies with her hand.

"Save it. Regina, I'm worried about you. What's going on?" She examined the older woman concernedly. "You've been forgetting to eat and sleep and-"

"And make time to see your friends," Kathryn volunteered.

"Yes, exactly," Ruby agreed. "And now you lock yourself into your pantry. What the hell's the matter?"

Regina sighed in aggravation. "I've just been busy. You know I expanded the menu and obviously offering more items entails more work on my part, and there are only so many hours in the day. Choices had to be made."

"Because offering yet another variety of muffins is obviously of paramount importance," Ruby said sardonically. "Way more important than, say, getting an adequate amount of sleep, or having three square meals, or spending time with the people who care about you."

Regina wrapped her arms around herself protectively, noticing that her shirt hung more loosely on her hips. When did that happen? She scrunched the fabric in her hand spitefully, releasing it after she realized that the shirt wasn't to blame for her negligence. She opened her mouth then clamped it shut, having nothing to say in her own defense.

"We're your friends, Regina. If something's going on, we want to know about it," Mary Margaret said.

"But preferably not in here, because as Ruby said, it is freezing," Kathryn said, teeth chattering, earning herself an exasperated look from the teacher.

"My apartment isn't too far away and I'm parked out back. We could talk there." Mary Margaret offered.

Regina fixed her eyes on the clock above the doorway, deliberating. The lasagnas were all built; she just had to pop them in the oven. Same for the meatloaf. But the other dishes were a bit more involved…

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Oh, for heaven's sake, Regina, will you stop thinking about the diner? You've probably already done all the dinner prep. You can take an hour off. I'll cover for you."

"But-"

"Lasagna goes in at 350, right?" Ruby interrupted, indicating that she would not be deterred.

"Yes, uncovered for the last ten minutes," Regina said defeatedly. "Thanks." Her eyes shone with gratitude.

Ruby sniffed the air, acting miffed, but Regina caught the small smile. "Go."

"I owe you one," Regina gushed.

"Remember that on my birthday."

Regina chuckled. Ruby's birthdays tended to get a little out of control, and that was _after_ she mellowed out.

"Nothing illegal," Regina reminded her.

"You say that every year," Ruby returned, tugging on Regina's apron strings to untie them. "Give this to me. You won't be needing it in _Mary Margaret's apartment_ ," she stressed, as none of the women had moved.

"Right." Regina wiped her palms, which had grown inexplicably sweaty in the chilly pantry, on her jeans. "This way, ladies." She ushered them toward a door half hidden behind shelves. They were met with a blast of November wind.

"Okay, my car isn't too far.." Mary Margaret led the way. "Here it is!"

A short while after, Regina was nursing a mug of piping hot tea on Mary Margaret's couch, relishing the warmth as feeling returned to her fingers.

"More honey? Lemon? Want a snickerdoodle?" Mary Margaret fussed over her guests. "The kids were having a bake sale and we had some left over. I've been eating them all week."

"Oh, is that why you haven't been ordering your usual apple crisp?" Regina smirked, taking a sip of tea. Usually she preferred black, but the herbal tea soothed her nerves.

"Haha. Actually, it's because I thought it was poisoned," Mary Margaret deadpanned.

Regina feigned outrage. "How dare you! I'll have you know that my desserts only contain the finest Maine Honeycrisps. All apple, no poison."

Mary Margaret giggled. "We're doing a fairytale medley for the school play this fall. Did you know that some of the students think I look like Snow White?"

Regina studied her carefully. "I don't see the resemblance." She shrugged, reaching toward the ceramic plate for a cookie. "At any rate, I'm sure no one wants you dead."

"Yeah, you should see the murderous glares my clients give me if I lose their case," Kathryn said casually, seating herself next to Regina. "It's a good thing poison apples aren't real."

They laughed, her joke breaking the tension. It wasn't even that funny, Regina thought, but after this afternoon, even that ludicrous levity was much needed. The tears that welled up in her eyes this time had a much cheerier origin. She sighed, her voice trailing off on a whine.

Mary Margaret took the other side of the couch, putting Regina in the middle. "Now. Tell me what's wrong," she prompted, looking at her sternly.

"Nothing's wrong," Regina tried to evade, unsuccessfully. She toyed with the tag on the teabag, rubbing it together between her fingers until the paper pilled.

"Regina." She wasn't buying it. "We've known you far too long to believe that. Locking yourself in a storage closet isn't normal behavior for you."

"It was the pantry," Regina pointed out petulantly.

"You're arguing over details." Kathryn leaned forward to look at both of them. "Seriously, what's up?"

Regina sighed. Taking a deep breath, she drained her tea and set the mug down on the coffee table. "Fine." She frowned, trying to think of a place to start.

"You said you've known me a long time, right?"

"Since you moved to Storybrooke, yep."

Regina chewed the inside of her cheek, a stormy look in her eyes. "Do you remember when I moved here?"

Mary Margaret nodded. "Yeah, I was in my last year of college."

"And I was getting ready to go to law school."

"Right. Nineteen years ago." Regina wrung her hands together, not really sure how to ease into the subject.

"Wow it's been that long?" Kathryn asked incredulously.

"Mm," Regina hummed absently. "How much have I told you guys about my life before that?"

Mary Margaret furrowed her brow. "Not much…you said you'd met Daniel at school and had a whirlwind wedding after you graduated. A few months later, you moved up here."

"Come to think of it, you don't talk about your life before Storybrooke at all, and it's weird considering most people in town grew up here." Kathryn's eyes widened." Oh my God, are you on the run from the law? Because if you are, you probably…shouldn't tell me."

Regina snorted. "No, Kathryn. But I was running from something. Or, rather, someone."

They waited for her to elaborate. "I was running from the person my mother expected me to become. Lovely woman, my mother. Her name is Cora, which means 'heart'. Ironic choice for someone who doesn't have one. She was an overbearing mother before it was cool."

Neither woman laughed at the quip. "From birth, she groomed me to be her perfect little angel, a testament to her exemplary parenting. Straight A's at private school, accepted to a stellar prelaw program, fluent in French. I was everything she thought a lady should be. And none of what I wanted to be. When I graduated, I decided enough was enough and moved to Maine without telling her. To this day, I have no idea if she's even alive."

Mary Margaret's mouth formed a small O. "Regina, I had no idea…"

"No one did. I didn't exactly share my woeful history with anyone. Daniel knew, of course, but he was the one to follow me up here."

"He was a good man," Kathryn said, smiling sadly. "He truly loved you."

"He did," Regina said hoarsely, her throat suddenly constricting. _Daniel…_ Her heart ached. She forced herself to continue.

"As much as we loved each other, I didn't know him all that long."

"Ooh." Kathryn scooted forward, intrigued. "Is there an ulterior motive behind this rushed wedding?"

Regina glared at her. "Don't be crass," she told her flatly. "We got married early because we loved each other and didn't see the point in waiting any longer."

"Okay, because you know there's nothing wrong with-" Kathryn yelped, having received a smack on the arm. "Point taken. True love. Carry on."

"Anyway," Regina said loudly, "as I was saying, I met Daniel my senior year of college. We hit it off right away and it was terribly romantic."

"Aww," Mary Margaret cooed, dunking her cookie in the tea, which Regina found disgusting, but she supposed the other woman enjoyed.

Regina exhaled, looking across the room at the counter while she figured out how to proceed. "The summer before senior year was my last free summer. Mother had allowed me to vacation in Florida. And I met someone."

Kathryn arched an eyebrow. "Met someone or _met someone_?"

"The latter." Regina swallowed. "His name was Killian Jones and he was an utterly dashing charmer. Black hair, devastatingly blue eyes and a voice that made every woman under forty swoon."

Mary Margaret fanned herself with her hand, clearly a bit flustered.

"And while I was there, I was his."

"Go, Regina!" Kathryn cheered, holding her hand up for a high five, which Regina gave her reluctantly.

"It was very…intimate. But when it came time for me to leave, it was clear that this relationship wouldn't proceed to anything deeper." Regina swept some stray cookie crumbs off her lap. "Truthfully, he was kind of a cad, but I was young and stupidly in love with love."

"Okay." Mary Margaret nodded, following her story. "So, what does this have to do with the reason that you're upset?"

"I'm getting there," Regina answered. "Be patient. Where was I? Oh, right. After I left Florida, Mother found me an internship in New York, at a law firm. Now I had all but decided I didn't want to be a lawyer- sorry, Kathryn-" She looked at the blonde apologetically. "But, of course, Mother couldn't know this. So being the obedient daughter that I was, I went to New York and became a glorified coffee girl."

"That sounds tough," Mary Margaret sympathized.

"It was," Regina acknowledged, with a wan smile. "Not too long after I started the internship, I was on a coffee run and I met Robin Locksley."

This statement was met with bewilderment on Mary Margaret's part and an excited squeal on Kathryn's. "Robin…Locksley, you mean of _the_ Locksleys?"

"The very same," Regina confirmed, nodding vigorously as her eyes lit up.

"Will someone care to enlighten me?" Mary Margaret asked grumpily. "Who are these famous Locksleys? I've never heard of them."

"They're only one of the _most_ influential families in New York. Half of them are bankers, half are lawyers. Supposedly, they rose to power sometime during the early eighties. Their critics say that they made their wealth by means of dubious legality. Everyone else doesn't care because they either don't have the money for their opinion to matter, or they're on the Locksleys' side." Kathryn finally paused to breathe. She faced Regina. "So let me guess. You ended up getting cozy with this Robin?"

Regina wrinkled her nose. "Yes, but it was more than that. He wasn't like the rest of his family. He was kind and selfless and listened to me when I spoke; _really_ listened, unlike everyone else in my life."

"He sounds like a great guy," Mary Margaret agreed, setting her empty mug on the table next to Regina's. "So what happened?"

"Circumstances…life…we just didn't end up being as compatible as I'd thought we were," Regina said tetchily. "I don't know…sometimes these things don't work out, you know?"

"It's okay, Regina," Mary Margaret consoled. "You're right, sometimes they just don't work out."

Regina ground her teeth together, running out of patience and needing to get the rest of the story out. "When my internship ended, I went to Cape Cod. There, I met Emma. Emma Swan." She turned around to face them both, daring them to say something.

"Emma and I were like day and night. I was timid and liked to play it safe. She skinny dipped at midnight on a whim. Being around her made me feel more daring, enough so to…open my heart again." Regina looked down, trying vainly to clean the scuffmark off her boot on the plush carpeting.

"You don't have to keep going if it's too hard." Kathryn said, displaying a sort of sensitivity she reserved only for her closest friends.

"No, it's okay." Regina exhaled. "Emma and I were together until I had to go back to school. It blew up in this massive awful fight. We shouted at each other until we were red in the face and then-" Regina's face reddened as if to demonstrate "-then we stopped shouting."

"Sounds complicated," Mary Margaret mused. "But hey, bright side, it left you free to meet Daniel and get married."

Regina's mouth twitched in a bittersweet smile. "It did. We had such a wonderful marriage." She twisted the ring on her finger distractedly, feeling the metal cut into her skin.

"I'm sorry you lost him," Mary Margaret murmured gently. Regina jerked her head in response.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room until Kathryn spoke. "So, why are you telling us all this?"

Regina sank into the cushion. "Because, somehow, for some inexplicable reason, they're all here. In Storybrooke."

They emitted twin gasps.

"You don't mean-"

"I do. For whatever reason, the universe thought it'd be amusing to send up the three people from my past that I was _least_ looking forward to seeing. My life is a cosmic joke." She declared, pulling the couch cushion over her head.

"Did you see them?"

"Yeah, in the bed and breakfast, right before I shut myself in the pantry. What am I going to do?" She moaned, clutching her hair in her hands.

"Maybe it won't be so bad," Mary Margaret said hopefully. Regina looked at her darkly.

"How could it possibly be anything but bad?"

"Well…maybe it'll be a chance for you to have closure. Resolve your issues?" She said timidly.

"She's got a point," Kathryn joined in. "This could end up working out for the better."

"I thought you guys were supposed to be supportive," Regina muttered into her shirt. "Can't you guys just let me wallow and spare me the silver lining?"

"You don't have to make any decisions today. Just…don't rule out the possibility." Mary Margaret patted her arm, the other hand stroking her hair. "Stay here as long as you need to. Ruby's keeping an eye on the diner."

Regina smiled lazily, enjoying the affection as her eyes fluttered shut, when they shot open. "The diner! Crap, I need to go!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina returns to the diner; Ruby meets the suitors.

Regina sprang out of her seat. "The diner! I completely forgot!" She stretched her hand toward her coat draped over the arm of the couch.

Mary Margaret caught her by the wrist just as she was about to snatch it up. "Regina, you can't go. You're clearly not feeling well. Please, just stay here until you've calmed down."

Regina took a series of huffed breaths. She _was_ calm. Pounding heart, dizziness, and breathlessness aside. It'd take a lot more than that to get her away from the diner for this long. _There were customers waiting to be fed. Hungry customers who were losing their patience. Customers willing to pay her, Regina, to cook for them. To give her the money to pay her bills and buy necessities for herself and Henry._

"Mary Margaret. I have a business to run." She extricated her arm from Mary Margaret's grasp and grabbed her coat triumphantly. "Now I'm going to put on my jacket and go back to my diner because there are customers waiting to eat."

"Regina…" Mary Margaret sighed. "You need to take care of yourself. You've been running yourself into the ground. You can't keep going like this." And Regina supposed she did have a point. But she had bills to pay and a kid to raise. No one ever gave single mothers a day off.

She shrugged resignedly. "Doesn't matter what I can or can't do. I need to keep going. The only thing that matters is having enough for Henry. And the only way I can achieve that is by running the diner and making money, money, money." She rubbed her thumb and forefinger together.

"Henry isn't a greedy kid," said Kathryn, turning in her seat. "He doesn't ask for a lot."

"I know he doesn't…" Regina replied guiltily, pivoting the toe of her boot where she stood. "He's a good kid. But Emerson isn't a cheap school, and if he gets in, he's going to go if it's the last thing I do. I'll be damned if I stand in the way of his dream."

"There are scholarships for kids like him," Kathryn pointed out thoughtlessly.

"Like what, exactly?" Regina whirled on her fiercely, eyes sparking. _Say it, I dare you_.

Kathryn mumbled something unintelligible into her shoulder.

Mary Margaret looked at Kathryn apologetically, then turned to Regina. "Henry has never gone without. He won't have to now, either." She touched her arm gently. "But you need to take care of yourself before you run yourself into the ground. Otherwise it'll all come crumbling down. Just take it one day at a time."

"You're right," Regina said tersely, shrugging off her hand and pulling on her jacket. "Henry won't have to go without. Thank you for listening to me tonight. But now I really do need to go, because that tuition won't pay for itself."

Kathryn and Mary Margaret exchanged a look. Regina gave them a cheerful and composed smile. Of course, they knew that it was fake, but they also knew better than to argue with her when she acted this way.

"I'm fine, I promise," Regina said flippantly.

"At least let me drive you. That wind chill is insane," Mary Margaret pleaded, grabbing her car keys from the coffee table.

"Fine," Regina conceded, buckling her belt over the zipper. "Let's go."

Automatic footsteps carried her from the car to the door of the diner, crossing to the kitchen without sparing a glance for her surroundings. Regina hung her coat on the hook beside the door and greeted Ruby, who was grating cheese on a salad.

"Hey, Regina," Ruby responded, pressing the cheese into the grater with the heel of her palm. "Feeling any better?"

"Yes, much, thank you." Regina moved to untie her apron strings, but Ruby sidestepped.

"Are you sure? You didn't just ditch your friends to be here, did you?" Ruby raised an eyebrow skeptically, setting the cheese and grater down on a cutting board.

"Yes, I promise. We had a good chat and it helped. They helped me work through it. Actually, Mary Margaret brought me back here." She took a ragged breath, letting her chest rise and fall. "I can get through the rest of tonight. Thanks for covering for me. I promise I'll keep it together."

"Okay…" Ruby yanked the strings loose and held the apron out reluctantly. Regina took the proffered apron, securing it around herself.

"Oh, the fish came in while you were gone," Ruby mentioned, tying her own apron around her waist and sticking her notepad in the pocket. "I wasn't sure how to clean it, so I just left that to you."

"Thanks, Ruby," Regina said. "Guess fish and chips is back on the menu."

Ruby let out an appreciative whoop from the doorway, and Regina resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her antics. Honestly, Ruby could be childish, but her enthusiasm was infectious, and every bit of positivity was sorely needed in her life. Not that she was unhappy. On the contrary, Henry never failed to make her smile, and she had friends to die for. But sometimes, when she lay awake in bed after one too many coffees that day, staring at the ceiling, she could admit to herself, however unwillingly, that she felt a bit…empty.

_It never got any easier. People kept saying that the grieving process was different for everyone and that it could take a while, but how long could it last? Seven years later, she still woke up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, hair stuck to her face and panting, having been visited by her habitual nightmares. Impressions invaded her unconscious: unearthly squeals echoing around the recesses of her mind, unbearably bright lights flashing across and blinding her, only to be replaced by the blackest darkness, devoid of anything but the nothingness that threatened to devour her. This was usually when she'd jolt awake, sitting upright and looking over instinctively to the right side of the bed for him to murmur sleepily that it was just a nightmare, Regina, go back to sleep. But the bed was unforgivingly made, sheets tucked under the edges of the mattress (even in her nightmares, Regina rarely tossed and turned), and flat. So flat. And cold, with the absence of the body that had kept her warm for twelve incredible years. She couldn't accept that he was truly gone. Eventually, she'd throw herself forcefully back onto the mattress and roll to her side, letting the fitful sobs wrack her body until they lulled her to sleep, and the desire for rest overcame the creeping doubts as to whether this was really it. Whether this is how the rest of her life would be._

Regina shook off the thought, scanning the room for the newly delivered fish and spotting it in the refrigerator. She took it out and immediately set to work scaling and filleting the cod, keeping the knife pressed carefully against the skin. After she'd deboned the fish, she portioned it into equal sticks and put it back in the refrigerator, figuring she'd wait until someone actually ordered the dish before preparing the batter.

It just made sense, she thought, offering fish and chips in a diner in Maine, and yet it took her surprisingly long to make the leap. When she took over the diner, the menu consisted of the same predictable, tired dishes. Slowly but surely, Regina breathed new life into it by either putting her own spin on old favorites or adding new items entirely. Fish and chips came and went with supply, as Regina didn't want to use any questionable seafood. But when it was featured, it sold well.

Satisfied with her work, Regina turned to slice an apple pie; having been tipped off by Ruby that their desserts were running low. One cut precisely across the center. Another bisected it. Then two more made eight pieces. Perfect. Think about symmetrical slices. Knife techniques. Neat, clean pieces. No crumbs falling haphazardly out of the crust. Yes. These were the important problems to worry about at the moment. Definitely more important than the arrival of three of her former paramours. She stabbed her knife into the pie viciously.

 _Okay, so they were here. But why now? Sure, they had the right to travel freely, but it didn't seem like a coincidence. It felt like they had come for her. So what were they expecting? A happy reunion? She hadn't even thought about them in ages, a rare memory flitting through her mind like a photo popping into place on a slide projector, only to be replaced by something else. And, really, what was_ she _expecting of_ them _? Maybe they had changed in the twenty years. She hoped they changed._ She'd _changed. It'd make her feel better about her life turning out so differently from what she wanted. So she'd give them the benefit of the doubt, right? That's what good people do. She'd be hospitable and treat them like any other guests, because she was a professional business owner who wasn't trying to act on decades old grudges. Not even when the people against whom those grudges were held reentered her life unbidden and had the_ gall to eat in her diner!

"Man, I'd hate to be that pie," Ruby commented, jarring Regina from her thoughts. "You're butchering it." It was true. The dessert in front of her no longer resembled a pie so much as a gooey mess of apple filling coated with crumbs. She gasped, trying quickly to salvage it by piling some of the crumbled crust on top of the syrupy apples, but it looked as pathetic as she felt.

"Hey, that's okay, we can just advertise it as deconstructed pie. That's a cooking thing, right?" Ruby said brightly, trying to reassure her. She took the pie tin away from Regina, apparently having concluded that Regina shouldn't be allowed to manhandle it any further.

Regina cocked her head to one side tentatively in acquiescence. "Yes, it is, but it's not what we sell."

"A little change won't kill ya," Ruby said with a cheeky wink. "Oh, I almost forgot. I came in here to tell you that a few people ordered the fish and chips. Here." She tore off the top sheet of paper from her notepad and slapped it down on the counter.

"Excellent. The fish won't stay this fresh long. The sooner it goes, the better. I'll let you know when it's ready."

"You got it, boss." Ruby saluted energetically, heading out of the kitchen. Regina shook her head good naturedly. What she wouldn't give to have a fraction of her pep right now.

Pulling down the bag of all-purpose flour from the shelf, she measured some out into a mixing bowl and began whisking together her batter for the fish and chips. Steady circles around the bowl…around and around and around she spun…

* * *

Ruby strolled behind the counter, checking on the coffee in the percolator. It wasn't running too low, so she'd wait before making a new pot. She placed the demolished pie in the glass display case, pulling out a serving spoon to replace the cake cutter Regina had given her after realizing exactly how wrecked it was. If anyone asked, she'd say Regina was trying new culinary directions. The hipster movement had just now found Storybrooke, so maybe the pie would be trendy and cool instead of ruined. Anything to protect Regina from the pain of disappointing people.

Poor Regina. She really hated pretending to be completely oblivious and smile blankly at her instead of offering words of comfort. Henry had promised he'd straighten out the situation, so she'd let him. It would be better coming from him anyway. But Henry hadn't said anything about Ruby _thinking_ about it.

How deeply had these people hurt Regina? What had they done to her? And how had she found out they were here? Presumably, she ran into them at the bed and breakfast. Ruby herself had checked them in on her lunch break, noticing people loitering in front of the building and figuring she'd go investigate. She supposed Regina encountered them when she'd gone to give Henry the cleaning supplies. But her reaction was a bit…extreme, to say the least. If they tried to hurt Regina again, she'd knock their lights out.

She recognized them among the crowd: Robin sitting at a secluded table near the back of the diner, and Killian and Emma at the bar in front of her.

Ruby flashed a dimpled smile. "What can I get ya?" She asked cheerfully as she leaned forward on the counter, showing off her dazzling teeth.

Killian perked up, bolstered by the smile in his direction. "What have you got to drink?" Ruby took in the sight of the leather clad man. She hadn't seen so much leather on one person since the nineties.

"Well, the coffee and hot chocolate are popular this time of year. Fall in Maine gets nippy." Ruby's smile faltered, but remained tightly on her face.

"Do you have anything else to…warm someone up?" His suggestive tone made her uncomfortable, as did the look he raked up and down her body. Still, she answered professionally.

"Regina makes her own cider. The apples are locally grown, and it's one of the best drinks I've ever tasted."

"Got anything stronger?" Emma stepped forward from behind Killian and took the seat next to him at the counter.

Ruby frowned. "Most people don't come here to drink…The White Rabbit offers a better variety of alcohol. I could try to scrounge up some liquor." She offered, seeing the downcast expression on the blonde's face. There was probably a bottle stashed under the counter.

Killian pulled out a metal hip flask, tilting it toward Emma. "I always carry rum with me; want a taste?" He asked in what he clearly thought was a gallant tone.

Emma scoffed. "What am I, on spring break? I haven't had rum since I turned 21."

"Why? It's such a wonderfully underrated drink, and-" Ruby saw Emma's eyes glaze over at what was undoubtedly a scintillating explanation. Finally, he paused to breathe and Emma took her chance.

"I'll just have a beer. You have beer, right?"

Ruby nodded. "Menu's up there." She pointed to the chalkboard hanging above her head.

Emma perused the menu, selecting a beer before her eyes stopped on the daily special. "Fish and chips sounds good."

Ruby hummed her approval. "The fish came in today and Regina makes the best batter. Crispy on the outside, moist on the inside. You won't regret it."

"Excellent, I'll have that too," Killian chimed in, apparently feeling left out of the conversation, and took a swig from his flask.

Ruby jotted down the two orders for Regina, then walked over to the fridge and pulled out a beer for Emma, handing it to her. She faced Killian.

"We, ah," Ruby hesitated, "don't allow outside food or drink in the diner. Just as a precaution, for health reasons." She gestured to the flask still in his hand with a sympathetic expression. "If you don't mind." There was no such rule. Regina really wasn't that worried about unsanitary foods being brought into her diner, but at the rate Killian was chugging the stuff, Ruby felt she had reason to be concerned about public inebriation. She didn't want to risk him making a scene, as he didn't strike her as the most stable person based on the five minutes she had known him.

He lowered the flask, stowing it back in his leather jacket. "Sorry about that…ah, I didn't catch your name."

"It's Ruby." She nodded down to the nametag on her chest.

"Ruby." He repeated. "What a lovely name."

"Thanks," she replied, tucking her hands into her apron pocket. "Well, I'll go get those orders to Regina and you should have your food in just a bit."

She walked away, taking her time making her way across the diner and observing the crowd. It was mostly regulars, as it usually was on weeknights: parents with their children after soccer games, some who had been coming to the diner since _they_ were children, businesspeople with their briefcases perched beside them gulping down coffee like it was water, the occasional first date. The scene was familiar to Ruby, who'd waitressed here since high school. The only stark difference was the two new faces sitting at the counter and the man tucked away in the corner, looking thoroughly as if he'd rather not be disturbed.

Honestly, she wasn't even in that big of a hurry to deliver their orders. She just had to get away from the counter. They were such loud personalities. Ruby wasn't used to anyone having a bigger personality than her, but these two gave her a run for her money. She wondered how quiet and reserved Regina could have dated either of them. Sure, Killian had that sort of dashing rogue appeal, and Emma was rather pretty… She supposed she'd just have to get to know them. Maybe there was more than met the eye.

She cracked the kitchen door open, waving the order slip toward Regina, who was busy battling the deep fryer. The smell of fried batter and French fries permeated the air; greasy and salty but not too heavy.

* * *

"New order, boss," she called out. Regina barely heard her, pulling up a batch of fries from the fryer and shaking off the excess grease. Paper lined baskets were waiting to be filled, and sizzling golden battered cod fillets rested on a tray beside them.

"Got it!" She yelled over the sound of the ceiling fan circulating air around the kitchen. She took the sheet of paper. Two more orders of fish and chips. Everyone seemed to want it tonight, so she'd been making it all night.

Fries went into the baskets first, topped by a few pieces of fish, a lemon wedge, and a small plastic cup of coleslaw. Ruby would be back to grab them in a minute or two, their system a flawless back and forth developed over years of working together.

Wiping her hands on her apron, Regina leaned her hip on the counter next to the kitchen door. She fanned herself, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. Had it always been this stiflingly hot in here? Suddenly, her eyes fell on a plate containing one apple turnover, which had been growing cold all evening. Henry's turnover! In all the confusion, she'd forgotten to give it to him.

Regina picked up the plate, finding Henry's table through the window and steeled herself to enter the diner, taking a deep breath. She could do this. She could be in the same room as them and remain calm.

She clutched the plate with both hands, nudging the door open with her leg and walking through it. Inwardly, she congratulated herself on making it through without anything bad happening to her. She was so busy dwelling on this personal victory that she didn't notice someone was heading her way until- _Smack!_

Regina staggered backward, her eyes working overtime to take in every detail until her brain could recognize a face that she knew.

"Oh!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina and Robin talk.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't look where I was going," Regina apologized. She kept her eyes fixed on the plate, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment.

"The fault is entirely my own," Robin assured her. "I should have been more careful. You're the one with precious cargo." He gestured toward her plate, containing one miraculously intact turnover.

"Yes. This is for- for a customer!" she stammered out. The words were coming out all wrong, stilted and labored in her ears. Why was this so difficult? No one else seemed to have such a hard time talking. She felt like she was back in French class, but speaking in Japanese. She felt dazed. _It's for Henry! Just say it's for Henry! He doesn't know who Henry is! Your son is not in danger! And honestly, why are you even telling him who the turnover is for? Seriously, don't be so awkward._ Regina berated herself for being so paranoid, the thoughts clawing screams in her head.

"Well I'm sure they'll be very happy. It looks delicious." Robin complimented, giving her an easy smile. Regina returned it shakily, slowly rubbing the edge of the plate with her thumbs. He must have noticed her discomfort because the smile was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

"I just wanted to inquire as to where the restroom might be." Robin tucked his hands into his jeans pockets, rocking back on his heels and glancing up at Regina through lowered eyes, looking much like Henry did when he'd been scolded. The resemblance softened Regina's jittery nerves.

She pointed out the door and walked over to Henry's table, placing the turnover in front of him.

"Thanks, Mom!" He exclaimed, taking a bite out of one corner, powdered sugar catching on the edges of his lips. He licked it off, smacking his lips appreciatively. "You make the best turnovers."

"You're welcome." Regina leaned over, kissing the top of his head. It struck Regina how unusual Henry was, as most teenage boys would have balked at such an open display of affection from their mothers in public, but Henry just reached an arm up to hug her.

"I'm sorry for before," he said sheepishly. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

Regina nodded distractedly, acknowledging what he'd said, her mind still on the encounter she'd just had with Robin. "Apology accepted, Henry. But we'll talk about this later." She said sternly. Henry gave her a guilty half nod, returning back to his conversation. There was no need to shame him in front of his friends, especially not when he willingly admitted he'd done wrong. Everything had a time and a place, and disciplining was for the home. Regina was not Cora.

At that moment, Robin exited the restroom and was evidently heading back towards his table, because he came dangerously close to hitting Regina again.

"We just keep on bumping into each other, don't we?" He joked, trying to play off the tension that had gathered as nothing out of the ordinary.

Regina didn't trust herself to speak, so she just nodded primly with a small smile.

Robin stood there, examining her from head to toe. Regina clasped her hands behind her back, digging her fingernails into her palms to stay present. She wondered what he was thinking. Then she wondered why she cared.

"You're not a lawyer," he stated, and Regina laughed. He looked like he could have kicked himself for making such a stupid remark.

"Keen powers of observation, Mr. Locksley," she teased, relishing the sound of his quiet laugh, and for a brief second, she was twenty again; and they were in the coffee shop close to the firm where she had interned, and the strain between them had melted away as he'd offer to pay for her macchiato even though he knew she'd refuse. Just as soon, reality came crashing back down around her as she remembered that no; this wasn't some bustling, cheery coffee shop in New York; they were in Storybrooke, in _her_ town, _her_ territory, and he barged in without permission.

He shrugged, cocking his head. "You can't blame me for wondering. The last time we spoke, you were doing a law internship. Logically, I would have expected you to go into the field."

Regina marveled at his memory. "I didn't think you'd remember that."

Robin gave her an unreadable look. "You were at that coffee shop every day. I doubt I'd ever forget meeting you."

Her lips pulled tightly into what she meant to be a smile but was sure came off as more of a grimace. She averted her eyes, tucking back that stubborn strand of hair that insisted on falling out of her ponytail. Honestly, she hadn't thought she'd left such a strong impression on him after they parted.

"So…the diner?" Robin prompted.

"Mine," she confirmed. "Along with the bed and breakfast where you will be staying tonight." _And only tonight_ , she hoped, though without the ferocity she had held earlier.

"I see," he remarked, and Regina didn't have the slightest clue what he could have possibly made of that. "Quiet little town, Storybrooke."

"It's peaceful. I wanted peaceful." Regina found herself justifying to this man whom she hadn't seen in twenty years.

"No, no I like it," he chuckled. "I could use some more peace myself."

"You stayed in New York." It wasn't a question.

"I did. I have a little apartment in Brooklyn. My parents disapprove of the location, of course, but after they cut me off, I thought I shouldn't throw away my money on something lavish."

"Right." Regina's head spun at the nonchalance with which he discussed his parents; the infamous Locksleys who had engineered the housing market crash that led to the recession, these people who had wielded such power and influence, and Robin was their son. "But you still stayed."

"My life is in New York, Regina. I wasn't going to give it up just to spite those miserable old thieves." Bitterness dripped from his words, and it irked her that he thought that he had to justify his decisions to her, as if she were accusing him, which was ridiculous, because what did she know about his life choices; what right did she have to judge them? Everything was going all wrong.

"I'm not attacking you, Robin," she said, still somewhat annoyed, but not wanting to start a fight, because she was so on edge and about one more thing going wrong away from exploding. Still, she felt the need to keep talking to him. She decided to try for some levity.

"I take it you didn't take over the family business, then?" She asked carefully, touching the hem of her shirt and finding a thread that had frayed from the stitching. She didn't even notice she was pulling it until she felt the side of her shirt bunch together and realized it would come apart unless she stopped. Quickly, she rolled the thread into a ball so it wouldn't unravel any more than it already had.

She snuck a peek up at Robin, who had apparently been looking at her the whole time. He smiled at her, the dimple that had captivated her as prominent as ever, crystal blue eyes sparkling good-naturedly. After all this time, he still looked _good_ , she thought begrudgingly. Really, this entire scenario was so ridiculous, and she had customers to feed and better things to do than ogle this man, this _stranger_ , because that's what he was to her now, a stranger, and Regina would do well to remember that.

"I'd rather die than be responsible for running that den of corruption," he proclaimed, and Regina cracked a smile. Robin had always had a flair for dramatics. "Greedy bastards, the lot of them."

"This is a family establishment," Regina scolded him. "Watch your language. There are kids here."

"Sorry, milady." Robin bowed elaborately, sweeping an arm in front of him. "I will watch my language so as not to offend your delicate sensibilities."

She harrumphed. "My sensibilities aren't the ones you have to mind. Some of the customers are practically nuns."

"And you aren't?" Robin raised an eyebrow. Regina crossed her arms at the implication. She didn't have to stand here and take this.

"What I do with my free time is none of your concern," she told him crossly, turning to head back toward the kitchen.

"No, wait." He grabbed her arm, and she spun around to face him, fire in her eyes. "I didn't mean to insinuate anything improper." He sighed, aggravated. "I'm rubbish at this, aren't I?"

Regina's reservations broke at his sincerity, and she smirked at him.

"There is some room for improvement," Regina recited the same phrase her mother would tell her after she came home with A-minuses instead of A-pluses, lips curving into a tentative smile.

"Can I try that again?" He asked.

"You may." Regina stepped aside, allowing a customer to pass. Just then, the spell broke and she seemed to realize that they had been standing in the middle of the diner, blocking everyone's way. "Are you sitting anywhere?"

Robin jumped, coming to the same realization. "I have a table near the back." He pointed it out, one of the chairs draped with a heavy coat. "But I wouldn't want to keep you from your work." He quirked an eyebrow, silently asking for her permission.

Regina took a quick look around the diner. "It looks like everyone's been served for the time being. I could spare a few minutes." Neither of them brought up the fact that they had already been talking for nearly fifteen. Regina figured he wanted to jinx it just as little as she did.

"If you're sure," Robin inspected her for any sign of protest, placing a hand on her back after finding none. "After you." He stretched his arm out toward the table.

Regina walked toward the table, the spot on her back still tingling where he had touched her. She felt slightly woozy as she sat down across from Robin Locksley, in Storybrooke. This day was surreal.

"You asked what I did for work?" Robin picked up right where they had left off.

Regina nodded.

"I'm a lawyer." Regina had to stifle the triumphant smirk that threatened to reveal itself on her face, because wasn't that so _predictable_ , that Robin would go on and on about how deplorable his parents were and then follow right in their footsteps?

"Uh, not _that_ kind of lawyer," he added, seeing her smug expression. "Actually, I work for a pro bono firm. We take on clients who can't afford other legal representation; usually people looking to sue corporations."

Regina listened thoughtfully, taking in his words. "Just like you said you would."

"You remembered," he said, touched.

"Of course I did," she said softly, then cleared her throat. This was getting too sentimental for her. "Lord knows you went on about it enough!"

Robin chuckled quietly in response, clinking his silverware against the empty plate in front of him. Regina observed him, processing the new information.

"You did it," she said, awed. "You actually went through with it."

"I'm a man of my word, Regina," he replied, slightly hurt. "When I say I'll do something, I mean it."

"Unlike me, you mean," she said dryly, feeling the itch of irritation rising back up again, unable to define it. "I didn't become a lawyer."

Why was she so irritated by him? Aside from the fact that he had decided to barge back into her life. If she had to articulate it, the best explanation would be that she felt _judged_ by him. _Look at me, Mr. Resolution, coming to mock you for not following through on your commitments. Ha ha ha._

"You never enjoyed law," he said, furrowing his brow. "I recall you complaining about how your mother had made you go into prelaw. It was never your decision."

"Yes, I'm sure you know _all about_ my mother," she muttered bitterly, wishing she had a cup of coffee or something to occupy her fidgeting hands. "I bet you two have a grand time together."

Robin snorted in disbelief. "Aren't you listening, Regina? Cora Mills is one of the main people I'm fighting _against_. Do you know how much she profited from the recession of '08?"

Regina didn't, nor did she care to. She had meant it when she cut her ties with her mother. That sounded so like her, though, benefitting from other people's misery. She had taught Regina about zero sum systems, back when most parents would teach their children how to ride a bike or make crafts; about situations in which there were clear winners and losers, and how there couldn't be one without the other. Cora Mills hated losing. Figures she'd exploit this recession for all it was worth.

"I know she's your mother, but that woman is – is –" Robin struggled to find an appropriate way to describe her, "heartless, Regina. She doesn't care about anyone. Except, maybe you," he added as an afterthought, realizing that he was talking to the daughter of the woman he was badmouthing.

"Oh, believe me, I know all too well," Regina said coldly. "She only ever cared about herself." She intertwined her hands, the subject of her mother always serving to upset her. "I haven't spoken to her in years."

Robin accepted the admission wordlessly, nodding in acknowledgment. Regina's stomach churned. "You said you were working against her?"

"Oh, yes. Nasty case, that was. She represented one of those mortgage companies," he named a well-known Connecticut realty firm which Regina recognized, "that was working with the banks, you know, the ones that shorted all those mortgages. So many people were foreclosed, lost their _homes_ , and she got to pocket the profits. It's all just a business deal to them. I don't know how they can abandon their conscience like that, literally leave people stranded in the _street_ , just for a quick buck. Thankfully the jury was truly of the people and sympathetic to our case."

And there was the Robin Regina had remembered; the impassioned crusader for justice, trying to right the wrongs of society. Against her will, her mouth spread into a warm smile.

"You won against my mother?" She asked, impressed.

"It's one of the most difficult cases I've had in my entire career, but eventually, yes. She's clever. Tried to use every legal loophole there is. But in the end, justice prevailed, and I was able to get my clients a fair settlement." Robin exhaled, leaning back in his chair.

"So you're Robin Hood, stealing from the rich to give to the poor?" She questioned, playful teasing in her tone.

"Robin _Locksley_ , but yes, essentially, that is the gist of it," Robin corrected, propping his elbows on the table and looking at her.

"A hero for the ages," she deadpanned, making him chuckle. She loved that sound…

"I only do it for the applause," he replied, and they had slipped back into their familiar banter, and _oh_ , how Regina's heart ached at the familiarity to be here, sitting with Robin, talking, like their short-lived affair had never crashed and burned, and Regina didn't have the faintest idea why she had stopped dating Robin, because this was…nice. This was nice, she found herself thinking.

"I knew it," she said sarcastically, letting out a laugh. He looked at her and something glimmered in his eyes. Regina didn't know what it was, didn't want to know, so she glanced around for an excuse to leave.

"Are you finished with that?" She blurted out, gesturing toward his plate. "I can take it."

"I am, but it's not in the way," he said. Her eyes darted back toward the kitchen, silently praying for escape, her mouth suddenly parched. This was too much for her. Too much too soon. She couldn't handle this.

"Are you okay, Regina? You look unwell." Robin rose, coming to her side. Concerned etched itself on his features.

"I'm…fine, just very tired and hungry and in need of a good night's sleep," she replied skittishly, her words tumbling together in a jumbled stream, tapping her fingers on the edge of the table.

"Maybe you should go rest," he suggested. "The diner is staring to clear out."

Regina glanced around to see that he was right. "Oh!" She jumped up suddenly. "That means I need to clean up. I'm sorry, Robin, but I need to go now, I really do, I-" She backed away from him, toward the kitchen, toward safety, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Please, Regina. You look like you could use a break and a solid night's sleep." Regina wondered if she had forgotten to cover her dark circles with concealer this morning. It seemed like forever ago after this eventful day. "Go home, get some rest. The diner will still be standing tomorrow. I promise."

She fingered her ring anxiously, warming the cool metal in her frustration, and if he noticed it, he gave no indication, his hold on her arm steady but slack. If there was one thing Regina hated, it was being trapped, and _he_ of all people should have known that. She tugged insistently.

"I have been running this diner for fifteen years, Robin. I know what I'm doing. Just let me _do it_ ," she gritted out, grabbing his arm and twisting her own out of his grasp.

His sleeve rode up, revealing a stylized lion adorning his skin, the black ink glistening under the fluorescent lights. She gasped reflexively and recoiled, dropping his arm abruptly. The tattoo…he'd, he'd gotten the tattoo that they discussed, that was supposed to be a matching tattoo with her, only Regina had run out of the tattoo parlor, but he hadn't, because as he'd said he was a man of his word and he followed through, and Regina didn't, because she couldn't, and she needed to breathe. Her knees buckled and she fought her dizziness, forcing one foot in front of the other until she was out of arm's reach and then running as fast as her legs would carry her.

"Regina!" She heard him calling out in protest as she sprinted toward the front door, slamming it behind her and panting hard.


End file.
